Missing you, missing me
by stevieLUVSAlex
Summary: In their seperate parts of the world, both B&B have fallen on hardtimes. They agreed to meet up in a year, but will one of them break the agreement before hand! And what happens when one ends up in a near-fatal accident? :
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I came up with his idea one Sunday morning, during church of all places… (NOT that I call it church, to me it's a kingdom hall, but not everyone would understand that) I have NO idea how long it's going to be, or where I'm going with it. Only that I know who the first person that calls is going to be… read on to find out… and most, importantly enjoy :)_

_In their separate corners of the earth, both Booth and Brennan have fallen on hard-times, needing, aching and missing each other… who will be first to make contact?_

In Indonesia…

Stalking out of the tent, Brennan made her way back to her own place, a rented hut, near the site on the Maluku Islands. Emotions unwanted, consumed her as she pushed open the door and dumped the bag on the bed. She began pacing the room, occasionally running her hand through her hair.

Something was VERY wrong. For the first time in her life, Brennan felt torn, between the remains of a Skelton and her own emotions. This was more than just a pile of bones.

Brennan had just spoken to the researcher in charge of the dig; they'd had a lengthy conversation about what life had been like for the three-year old before her life had been stolen, how abused she had been at the time of death, what kind of parents that had been bestowed upon her. Brennan felt physically ill, at the mere thought of that child's minute few years in the world. She was reminded of her own childhood, and the fate she had suffered at the hands of her foster family.

"Dr. Brennan, could I speak to you a moment," a young Anthropologist asked. Sarah was her name, she was an Australian. She had spent a lot of time watching Brennan and following the same trails and routes that she had taken, hoping to learn something significant.

Brennan had grown tolerant of her. She was shy and quite, and spoke only when necessary, and unlike Daisy she was not full of energy and constantly in her way. She remained at a fair distance, giving Brennan breathing room. She respected that.

Brennan stopped pacing and looked up at the girl.

"Are you alright?" Sarah asked seeing the discontent on her face.

"Yes, Sarah. What do you need?"

"I was wondering if it would be okay, if I interviewed you for an assignment, I admire your work and I just… if it's too much trouble, I understand."

Brennan nodded vaguely, her thoughts still on the child with an abused past.

It was moments like these that Brennan missed Booth, ached to talk to him about her discoveries, wanting… no, needing to feel his arms around her. Her phone conversations with Angela helped some, she was enjoying her exploration of Paris thoroughly, and Brennan told her tales of the new discoveries she had uncovered. But this new discovery of a child; had left Brennan wanting to share the news only with Booth, as if she longed for it to be a secret shared only between the two.

It had been four months, 125 days to be exact, since Brennan had left Booth at the airport. There had been no promises of staying in touch, but oh, how she wished there had been. Over the last 16 weeks she had missed him in ways that she didn't even perceive. Since they had no arrangements, she suspected he wanted time alone his schedule of training, no less must have been profoundly heavy.

She shook the thought from her mind.

"Yes, Sarah," she answered the girl. "I don't mind if you interview me."

The girl smiled sweetly, making no move to jump up and down on the spot, as Daisy might have done.

Meanwhile, in Afghanistan…

"_BOOOOOOONES!" he roared in panic._

Booth sat up in his swag, beads of perspiration making its way down his forehead. He wiped it with the back of his hand, as he attempted to catch his breath. Another nightmare. This was getting slightly ridiculous. His heart thudded wildly against the wall of his chest as he tried to set his heart rate back to regular. Long deep breaths, like pops had taught him as a kid.

Eventually, his heart stopped pounding and he lay his head back down on the pillow.

For four months, his mind had been active with nightmares. Since the moment he stepped into this country. Lately, they had been the same recurring horrors, night after night. Bones had been coming to see him, missing him like he had missed her, and before he could reach her, he watches as one of his trained army men step into view, a loaded gun in their arms, and he stares on in horror as her eyes met his own. The sound of fireworks explode, and Bones' face expression changes to shock horror, she begins to fall and he runs, hard and fast towards her. He bends down and cradles her in his arms. His lips to her forehead. "I gotta baby…" he whispers. "Don't leave me… I gotcha. I'm here… Bones, I'm here."

Its nights like these that he wishes he could call her. He contemplates it, more and more each night, until it becomes a struggle not to at least try. But he knows that she's busy, he understands her need for her own space and time, away from him. He relents, and leaves the phone untouched.

_Next chapter comes when I get reviews saying ppl like my work… :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Okay… Next chapter _

As Brennan stared at the bones set out on the ground, beneath the dirt, she went over in her mind the information she had collected on this particular case. She had learnt a fair bit about this child, through the researcher who had been living on the Maluku Islands over the past year. The child had sustainable bone fractures, and evident head trauma. The unwanted emotions formed heavily, as she stared at the remaining skeleton. This situation was far too close to home. She knew the pain this child had suffered. She knew the emotions she must have felt, concerning the betrayal made by her parents, the very people who were supposed to be her safe-haven, had been the ones to hurt her.

Again, her mind filled with thoughts of Booth. She envisioned herself taking the flight to Afghanistan to find him; there he would be to meet her, his face lighting up at the sight of hers. He'd embrace her instantly, hold her against his broad chest, and she'd feel that familiar safety. The same emotion she both missed and fear, that remained nameless.

_Bones, this isn't like you_, the voice uttered softly. It was the voice of Booth.

Her eyes shifted around the room, as if she would suddenly find him standing there. Disappointment filled her when she saw the room was empty.

_You aren't that same girl anymore_, Booth's voice spoke from somewhere in the wind.

Again her head snapped around. But no one was there. Her stomach tightened, was she falling into the mental state of what one called, insane?

"Booth…" she whispered. There was no answer.

Brennan ran a hand through her hair. "Pull yourself together, Temperance," she groaned to herself. "You're starting to sound like a crazy person."

_Not crazy, Bones, logical. _

"How is this logic?" she hissed into the air. "I'm talking to nothing!"

The sound of his laughter reached her ears. God, how she missed him!

_It happens when you miss someone hard enough, Bones… long enough…_

"I do not miss you," she groaned.

_Yes, you do…_ his voice teased.

"Booth!" she snapped at the empty space.

His laughter filled the room again. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine him beside her, but when her lids fluttered open again, he was nowhere, and she was alone, with only the remaining bones of a child.

"You alright, Seely?" a man asked as he popped a beer into his hand. He had been sitting a few meters from the rest of the men, around the campfire.

Booth nodded vaguely, his thoughts a million miles away. For days, weeks, months, he had trained men to serve for their country, and all that he had taken away from it was the aching absence of the woman he loved. Booth was tired. Thoughts consumed him of leaving here, and returning home, either that or taking the next flight to Indonesia. Wherever Bones, was, that was home to him.

"Need a word?" the man pushed.

"Nuh," Booth declined. "I got it, thanks."

"Home sick or somethin',"

"Something like that," he laughed. He may as well have been. It wasn't that he didn't miss his son, a lot to be honest, but it was Bones he saw every day, it was her face that he wanted to wake up to, it was her smile that he wanted to see. _If he saw her, would it stop the nightmares?_ He wondered.

"They can give you clearance for a few days, if you need… you look like someone died," he acknowledged.

Booth look at the man, his name was Bob… Bill… Brenton… he couldn't remember, and he didn't care all that much. "They may as well have, the way I'm feeling," he muttered. He felt like a hole was missing in his chest, like someone had shot a canon through his body, leaving him with nothing to fill it with.

"Tell old, Bryan here," the man said slapping him on the back. That was his name, BRYAN. "What's the problem?"

Booth shook his head. How did an ex-sniper/Military man, confess that instead of fighting for his country, and teaching men to defend themselves in war, he wanted to be with a girl, a woman, one that wasn't even his wife, or his girlfriend, one that didn't even reciprocate his feelings.

"Come on, man…" Bryan urged.

Booth hesitated. "I miss my girl," his stomach tightened when he said the words, as if he were afraid she would overhear him, and be angry, accusing him of believing she was nothing more than his property.

"You married?" he asked.

"No… I was, once, my son Parker, is the result, no… no this woman is…"

"That good?"

"Yeah," he nodded thinking about Bones across the other-side of the world, digging up ancient bones. Did she think about him, too? He couldn't help wondering. Did she miss him, even a fraction of how much he was missing her? Possibly not! Bones didn't operate the same way as other women, she didn't feel on the same level that the average woman did. It bugged him sometimes; that in itself was a problem for them. If she did feel the same things that he did, they might have been able to make a go of a relationship. But if she did think like someone else, would he have fallen so hard for her? No! He concluded. It was the essence of her that he loved. It was Bones, whole and complete.

"You ever called her?" Bryan asked.

"No, we… no," he didn't bother explaining the promise of meeting at the reflecting pool in a year.

"Call her," he ordered. "Or stop moping around!"

Bryan left him to his own thoughts and joined the rest of the men around the campfire.

_I'd love your thoughts on this… the next chapter comes when I know you guys are interested, so click that review button and ask for more :)_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: okay, a word of warning… a heads up, if you will, I have decided to wait, ONE more chapter before you find out who makes the initial call, and whose voice is ACTUALLY on the other end. But enjoy this chapter it's not too bad, promise… :)_

_Just make the call_, the voice urged.

Brennan's hand trembled, as it hovered above the receiver, still undecided. She'd lost the never she had gained an hour ago, when she had called the Army service to track down Booth's location in Afghanistan. She'd managed to get his area code, and had suddenly lost her nerve when she realized he'd be on the other end of the line in a matter of minutes.

For a long time she stared at the un-dialed receiver.

Finally, she forced her emotions aside, and dialed the number that she'd written on a white piece of scrap paper. She ran a hand through her hair as she listened to the ringing of the dial tone. Two… three… four… her heart rate quickened as each second passed, in anticipation of the sound of his voice that would soon be heard on the other end.

The phone clicked her knees buckled, and she had to reach out her hand to steady herself on the table in front of her. A sharp intake of breath, as she waited for the voice to respond.

"Hello…" it was a gruff tone which replied.

It was not the voice of Booth; she knew evidently, his voice would be recognizable without doubt, even across the other side of the world. No, this man was not hers, this voice belonged to someone else he didn't belong to Brennan, and he wouldn't call her _Bones_. Oh, how she longed to hear her nick name again.

Her voice evened out slightly. "I'm trying to locate, Seely Booth… is he available?"

"One moment," the phone was put down, and Brennan waited patiently, her heart erratically beating like _The Tango_.

Her head whirled with questions, comments, thoughts, about the last four months, those, now 126 excruciating days she had been away from him. She sighed heavily, and took a deep breath as she perched herself on the nearest chair, just in time for someone to pick up.

"Hello…" the voice greeted. Her heart stopped beating for a moment, as she held her breath, straining to hear the voice… was it him? "Hello… is anyone there?"

Disappointment fuelled her. No, it was not Booth.

"Hello, I was-"

"Yes, I'm sorry, he's…" _what? _Her head screamed_. Dead? Was he dead?_ "Unavailable, but I can pass on a message if you like."

He was alive. "Yes," she gasped. "Yes, can you tell him Temperance Brennan called, and if he gets a chance to call back…" she was aching to speak to him.

"Of course," the man responded.

Brennan gave her information to the voice that was not Booth, and hung up, feeling emotionally drained. She rose from the chair, ignoring her body's response to the news and forced it back into work. There was no use sitting around. He'd call when he was ready…

Booth walked into the tent to change clothes. A moment later, he heard the sound of the Lieutenant's voice, Andrew was his name, and he had taken a liking to Booth since he'd arrived. He was a stern man, with evident rules and restrictions but had allowed the occasional rule to be broken, when there were not guns blazing and a war in progress.

"Andrew…" he greeted with a polite nod.

"Seely… I have a message for you," he handed Booth a piece of paper, and his eyes scanned across the words. She'd tried to call him. _Bones._ His girl, his partner, his best friend, his… whatever label she had attached to her name, she had called him.

"Got a phone?" he asked instantly feeling almost giddy at the prospect of hearing her voice.

"Trouble in paradise?" he teased.

"No, sir," he smiled. His mood was not about to change.

Andrew handed him a SAT phone, and he took it with gratitude. Andrew left him alone.

Booth was careful to read the number correctly, afraid to get it wrong. He waited patiently for the ringing of the phone. It was times like these that he wished he had a mobile phone. He had called parker several times since he had been gone, and he was doing well in school, playing with his friends, and missing his dad. Booth missed him too.

Before long, he heard the click of the phone.

"Bones…" he said eagerly, before she could even get a word in.

"Hello…" the voice was a man. Not _Bones_ at all.

"Seely Booth here, I'm looking for Bo… Temperance Brennan, the Anthropologist."

"Man, most of 'em here are Anthropologists, got any more details?"

He thought quickly. "She's from D.C, she's… a brunette with soft green eyes and-"

"Damn, another boyfriend… hold on," the phone was placed down.

Another boyfriend? Had she had others calling her, claiming to be her boyfriend, who? Hacker? As he pondered over this, the phone picked up again.

"Hello…"

It was NOT bones.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Temperance Brennan!"

"I heard you the first time," the voice snapped. "She ain't here. She's off at the dig."

DAMN! "Can you pass on a message," he said.

"Yeah, whatever…"

Booth gave his details; just to be sure he'd get a call back. He hung up, highly disappointed and more depressed than before. Was it asking too much, just to hear her voice after four months apart?

For a week it went on like this, she was out on the site when he called, he was training arms men when she called. Both struggled to call at other times, sometimes meaning the middle of the night, their time to make a difference, but the Universe was not on their side and before long, it had become a game of phone-tag.

_Hope that wasn't too disappointing… I promise the next chapter will have THE CALL… swear. :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: The promised chapter of THE CALL… I hope it comes across the way I wanted it to, but with writers, there's always room for improvement. I seemed to have changed BONES' character slightly, sorry. Hope that's not TOO annoying! Enjoy :)_

Brennan was tired when she reached for the phone. The day had been long, and it had left her nothing short of exhausted. But her desire for Booth was strong, and heavily outweighed the possibility of immediate sleep. She waited for the dial tone she waited for the man to answer, telling her that her friend was unavailable, and that the game of phone-tag was not over. She was patient today, and without expectation. Disappointment would not flood her, not today.

The familiar click of the phone, made her straighten up, as a voice came through the other end.

"Bones…" it was how she was greeted.

The voice made her knees buckle and she sank to the floor with heavy relief. Tears stung her eyes. It had been FAR too long since she heard that name. Oh, how she'd missed him. She closed her eyes, happy to have heard it once again. She was almost afraid that distance and time would prevent it from being heard, to never be called by to her nickname, had shamefully entered her mind.

"Bones…" his voice pleaded. "Are you there… God, please be there? BONES!"

She hadn't spoken. In the few seconds he had picked up the phone, she hadn't uttered a single word. SPEAK, she urged herself silently, say something, anything…

"Hello, Booth!"

A gasp was heard from his end. A short silence followed.

"God, Bones… is that you? Geez, woman, I've been trying to get you on the phone for a week. It was the longest game of phone-tag, I've ever-"

Brennan frowned. She didn't understand. "Booth, how can you tag a phone?"

Booth's laughed echoed through the receiver, and she smiled. It was nice to hear the familiar sound of happiness. "It's an expression, Bones. I've missed you…"

"Me too, Booth," she confessed thinking back to the agonizing months she had felt trapped in her own emotions. "I've missed you too."

For a moment both were silent, lost for words. It took a moment to break the trance, and she began to tell him about her time in Indonesia, about the bones she had discovered, the people she had met.

"And Daisy… how is she liking it there?" Booth asked politely.

"Yes, she's enjoying the experience."

"Is she getting under your skin?"

Brennan couldn't fathom the idea of getting physically close to Daisy, when she was still working on Cam and Hodgins, to step through the barrier of intimacy. "Booth, we don't get close enough to- oh, another expression?" she realized.

Booth laughed. "I see some things don't change," he said.

"I don't know what that means."

"Never- nevermind," he replied.

"Are you content with your duties in the army, Booth?" she asked changing the subject.

A flash of nightmares flooded his mind, and he took a moment to respond to her question. "Yeah," he lied. "I'm fine. Bones! Are you?"

"Am I fine, Booth? Yes, I'm content with my duties here on the Maluku islands."

"Are you safe?" he whispered. "Using the bug guide that Hodgins gave you… he told me he gave you a-"

"Yes, Booth. I have the guide, and I am cautious of the bugs that crawl in the soil."

"Good," he sighed with relief. "That's good Bones."

"Are you alright Booth, you sound unusually concerned…" she observed.

It was just like her, to notice that his behavior was slightly off. He smiled. He liked that she still knew him well enough, he liked that she was still the same woman, his _Bones_… "I'm fine, Bones."

"You said that already," she pointed out.

He ran a hand through his hair. He needed a shower. He hadn't had one in over two days. He forgot how dirty it got out here, he forgot that the smell consumed every inch of you after a while. Nothing smelt, quite like war. Blood. Sweat. Rotting flesh. And not the same kind that _Bones_ dealt with in the Lab at the Jeffersonian.

"Just tell me you are okay, Bones… that you are not putting yourself into dangerous-"

She laughed.

"What?" he snapped.

"I'm not in a warzone, Booth, you are. It's me that needs to be asking these questions."

"I'm safe, Bones."

"Good. I'm safe too."

"Good." He contemplated telling her about his nightmares, but they seemed to dim by the sound of her voice, maybe he had finally managed to get them out of his system. Maybe tonight, he would be nightmare free.

An hour had passed before Bones was ordered back to the site where she had been working.

"I have to go…" she sounded hesitant.

He felt sick. He didn't want to stop talking to her. Not yet.

"Are you dating, Bones?" it was the first thing that had come to his mind.

"I don't know what that means."

Patience was hidden this time, underneath the recesses of his mind. "It's a simple question… the guy I spoke to a few days ago, said that you have boyfriends calling you… I didn't know you were dating," he was hurt. He figured that she might at least let on that someone was in her life.

"I'm not, Booth," she assured him. "I don't know what information you've been given, but it's certainly incorrect."

He sighed with relief. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure… I- I have to go, Booth."

"Can I call you again?" he asked desperately. There was no way he could survive another four months of silence.

"I miss you, Booth. I-"

"Bones… please, can I call-"

He heard the dial tone. She had hung up. He reluctantly placed the SAT phone down on the swag and paced the tent. She had said she missed him, so why had she been in such a hurry to hang up? He wracked his brain trying to come up with an answer… in the end; he concluded that her time on the dig had left her missing him less and less. Maybe in their separate corners of the world, she had managed to find a way to accept the change. Booth was still working on it.

_ARGHHHHHHHHHH! I love leaving readers on the edge like this. Review, if you want more :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Hi guys… glad you came back for more. Hope you like this one. I know I do… :)_

Brennan was still thinking about the phone call when she settled herself into bed a week later, the covers pulled over her head. The line had been disconnected before she had the chance to tell him, she was more than happy to have him call back. But he hadn't called. She had attempted to call him, twice, but the line had been unavailable. Her only choice, she figured, was seeing him face to face.

As the hours progressed, and she lay awake, her eyes on the tiled ceiling, she knew more time away from Booth was improbable. Her mind drifted back to the last time she'd seen him, at the airport, that heartbreaking day he'd taken her hand and said goodbye. He'd taken her hand, when she was prepared to hug him, embrace him long enough to smell the cologne against his skin. She was prepared to feel her lips brush the warmth of his cheek. He had taken her hand. A gesture that she was sure meant well, but had left her aching to touch him, the proximity of his hand, was not enough to satisfy the desired need that left her wanting more.

This time, she promised herself, when she saw him that arms would enfold, that lips would linger and that the scent of him would be embraced.

Yes, she concluded. Brennan had to see Booth.

In the early hours of morning, she rose from the bed, having had no sleep, and she went in search of the Archeologist in charge of the dig, the leader above her. In his trailer, she found him looking over some paperwork; she knocked on the side door. He lifted his head to look at her.

"Hello, Dr. Brennan," he greeted with a tight smile.

"Dr. Martin," she responded impassively.

"What can I do you for you?"

Brennan stood nervously. "I was requesting a vacation…"

"A vacation?" the man frowned.

"Yes, Dr. Martin. I'm eager to fly to Afghanistan to visit a friend."

"Is he dying?" the Archeologist asked bluntly.

"No… I don't- no, he's not dying."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Brennan, this is NOT a place of employment, this is an Archeological dig, it doesn't stop when you have a sudden need for companionship!"

"We have a platonic relationship, Dr. Martin." She stated matter-of-factly.

"Then there won't be a problem if you remain here, will there." His eyes stern and serious.

Brennan lingered by the door, a hand braced against the trailer, to steady herself. Her mind sorely focused on her need and desire to contact Booth.

"I apologize, Dr. Martin. I know I have made a promise to uphold my position here, but at the moment, my loyalty is to my friend. I understand if you reject my request, but I need a few days, I will be leaving. My return, however, that remains in question…"

Dr. Martin looked unimpressed by her speech, but she held no emotion for him, his opinion didn't matter, it was a moot point, since she had formed no emotional connection to this man.

"You have 24 hours to come to your senses, Dr, Brennan," he bargained. "And I sincerely hope you do. I want to see you out there, with everyone else. I want to see you back at work, where you _wanted _to be, _requested_ if I recall. If you walk away from this Dr. Brennan, I guarantee there will be NO job for you when you return, so you may as well pack your things up."

"I apologize for the inconvenience Dr. Martin, but I will be leaving."

"I hope for your sake you change your mind," he turned his attention back to his papers, leaving her with a choice.

Her mind was made up. She was going to Afghanistan.

The flight was long, and Brennan was beyond exhausted, and suffering severely from jet-lag. But her want for seeing her partner overshadowed all else, and until she was in the safety of his presence, her desire for sleep was put on the back burner. She didn't stop for a single minute to rationalize her actions all she knew was that she had to see him.

When she made contact with a bus, a man who agreed to drive her to her wanted destination at a price, she allowed herself sleep. The drive was long, and the trip had left her both physically and mentally drained. Dreams crowded her slumber as she dozed, her head against the window. Booth filled her thoughts, his face… his smile… his voice… his hands.

She was jolted awake by the sudden stop of the vehicle. She was shoved forward, and an instant headache approached, as she pulled herself upright, her hands on the chair in front of her.

"Are we there?" she asked sleepily.

"We are," the man responded.

Brennan sat up straight and looked out the window, the sight she saw made her eyes burn under her lids. This was the destination Booth had desired. A warzone! The reality hit her hard, as she watched the many men in uniform walk to their designated tents; each looked more exhausted than the last. Dirt. Blood. The smell of war in the air.

She remained perched on her seat, her eyes scanning the area for any sign of her friend. How easy lives were lost and forgotten here, in this place, where men fought for their country but came out scarred and broken, if they were lucky enough to escape with their lives.

Brennan mentally scolded herself, for allowing Booth to come here, for allowing him to put his life on the line, without a fight, without words of wisdom and advice. She had let him walk away, only to be brought to this place of torment.

Previous conversations were brought to the fore of her mind. For 12 months after war, when he had fought for his country, he had been rewarded with nightmares, haunting images that remained burned under his eyelids, to be seen every time he closed his eyes. How had this request to train men, been anything but a painful reminder of the years he had spent suppressing the horror he lived the first time? Men lost in battle… fathers… brothers… sons… friends.

Brennan took on the guilt as her own, questioning her choices. Her need to escape him, had led him to this warzone, a place where any man, at any time could be shot and killed, for the sake of his country.

Her stomach overturned.

"Are you going to get off?" the driver asked impatiently.

Slowly, she stood, inching her way to the front of the bus. One step… two steps… her feet landed on the soil of a warzone. Her eyes scanned every face for one familiar man, each one coming up empty.

The first man that reached her, she asked if they could direct her to Seely Booth. The man pointed to a tent, and she nervously made her way there.

_:) I really did enjoy writing this chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading it, post a review and let me know… _


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: wow… thanks guys you are awesome for all the reviews. Ta. Here's the next chap you've been waiting for… :)_

Booth rubbed his neck. He was eager to get an hour or so of shut eye, enough to tie him over until sundown, his swag was the most wanted request at the present moment, a promise of sleep entered his mind, and he almost smiled. He stepped into the tent, and gasped unexpectedly at the sight of someone in his tent. It took a moment for the face to register.

"Bones!"

A smile slowly spread across her face, her eyes seemed to light up at the sight of him.

"Bones," he repeated, this time he moved forward and pulled her forcefully into his arms, a wide grin now settled on his face. He felt her tight for only a moment, before he pulled her at arm's length to look at her face. "You're here!" he hugged her again, this time embracing her more gently, his fingers curling into her thin shoulder length hair. It had been cut and styled and she was breathtaking.

He welcomed the scent of her, a mix of daffodils and something else… something familiar and embracing.

"What are doing here?" he asked pulling himself back from the shock of seeing her in this place.

"I don't know…" she shrugged looking slightly anxious.

"What about the Malu Islands?"

"Maluku," she corrected. "I left."

"Your job?" he questioned. That didn't sound at all like Bones.

"I think I might be fired…" she smiled. There seemed to be no trace of regret on her face, no remorse for being where he was, for being in his arms. She reached out and touched his face. "It's good to see you."

Booth laughed, his hands tightened around her. "Yeah, it sure is good to see you too. I don't- why are you here, I mean…" he was stumped, speechless, lost for words. He took her hand, refusing to let go of her, in case he opened his eyes and found he was dreaming. He led to her to his swag and pulled her down to the soft cushion of his bedding.

Bones only laughed.

"What possessed you to leave the dig?" he asked still grinning widely. Her face was like that of an angel, and the promise of sleep that had plagued him only minutes ago, disappeared.

"I don't know, Booth. I just wanted to see you. I couldn't reach you by phone, and I wanted to tell you that-" she stopped talking and shifted uncomfortably beside him.

"What Bones, you can tell me anything…" he urged.

She hesitated. "I wanted to tell you that you can call," she whispered.

"I can call?" he was confused.

"The connection was bad, and I didn't get the chance to tell you that you could call me, I wanted you to call me… I-" she shook her head.

"Thanks Bones," he smiled reaching out to stroke her cheek. His fingers tangled in her hair. "You look beautiful, did I tell you that."

"No," she said. "You look handsome too, Booth."

"I missed you… very much."

"I did too," she said. "I missed you, as well."

He pulled back and shrugged. "How long are you here for?"

"How long am I allowed?" she responded.

Booth felt giddy. "Forever," he whispered.

"Forever is incorrect, Booth… nobody can live that long," she pointed out in Bones fashion.

He laughed. "Bones?"

"What?"

"I love you…"

She seemed to retract from him then, and he cursed himself silently. DAMN IT!

"Bones, I-"

_Yeahp! I sure do love my cliff-hangers… hehehehe_

_Review if you want more!_


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Yes, I do love my BONES stories… Okay, I thought I might annoy you guys a lil more, because it usually means you are enjoying the story, and so I came up with this chapter. I do promise the end result will be HAPPY fairytale… unless requested otherwise. :)_

Brennan's mind echoed with his words _I love you_. She ran a hand through her hair. She was mentally insane, she had to be, there was no other explanation for walking away from him, for fleeing the tent and leaving him alone to ponder over his own words. No doubt he'd be thinking he'd made a mistake, telling her that, but she didn't see it that way. The words had hit her harder than she expected they would, when he eventually came out with it. She knew he would. It was there, in his eyes, every time he looked at her, the same way it was in her eyes.

She didn't even know why she ran, except that she was afraid. Afraid that what she felt for him, was the same depth of love that he expressed to her.

Brennan paced the camp site, walking back and forth, kicking the dirt up with her shoes. She'd been out there for an hour now. She hadn't said a single word to him when she fled the tent. She only ran, literally, stood from the swag and ran from the tent, as if running would make her own emotions dim, as if it would erase the feelings that had built up in her heart.

She did not understand love. Physical attraction, that was easy, it was the laws of physics. It happened to her each time she stepped into the room with Booth. But love, that was foreign.

"I don't know how to change," she mumbled to herself. How did she make that happen? How did you change who you were, without losing yourself?

Brennan had come this far, she wasn't going to walk away now.

Deciding whether or not to go back to his tent, she sighed heavily. Had she not made a quick decision to follow him to the other side of the world? He was only a few feet away now, what was she so afraid of? Love? Would it be so bad to have him love her, and protect her… like she had always sensed she needed? The barrier she had held up for so long. He had broken it down slightly, but was it possible to remove it, all of it, and allow herself to fall completely. Would it be so bad to have him wake up beside her, his face the only one she longed to see when she returned home from work… to finally have someone worthwhile to go home to?

Yes, she concluded, it would be nice to have someone to greet her when she walked through the door, to smile and be glad to see her.

Without another thought, she made her way back to the tent.

"Booth?" she called.

"Not now, Bones…" his voiced echoed from the dark corner of the tent.

She stepped inside, ignoring his plea. His head shot up, his eyes revealing blood-red. Had he been crying?

"Booth…" she whispered.

"I understand," he snapped. "You don't have to explain anything. I know you don't believe in love or marriage or religion or change… you don't believe in anything but bloody science. I get it. It's fine."

"It's not fine, Booth… you won't look me in the eye."

His eyes met hers, and she felt sick. She was the cause of his pain, and she never wanted to see him look that heartbroken again, he looked so sad, so broken. She approached him, slipping her hand into his.

"When I was a child," she began. She had his attention. "After my parents disappeared, I used to watch war on the news… each case worse than the last. I used to think that they got called away, that they were forced to join the army and fight for their country, and that maybe… they hadn't made it back to Russ and me, because they were killed. I had nightmares Booth, of ways they were murdered, shot, beaten and tortured. I couldn't stand it… I know that it was impractical for such thoughts, but I had to believe they were taken from me, and hadn't willingly left."

Booth was still listening, his eyes focused on her face as she told her story.

"I grew up, Booth. I grew up and I realized that they may very well have left me and Russ because they WANTED to, it wasn't until dad came back that I found out the truth. I had loved my parents, and they left me, I was alone in the world when Russ went off. I had to protect myself. I had to be my own person. I couldn't love anyone else, the pain… it hurt Booth."

"You think I'm going to leave?" he asked gently.

"Realistically, yes."

"Do you believe I love you?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"Do you love me back?"

Brennan didn't answer.

_Wasn't sure if she should say it yet… what do you all think?_

_Not sure when the next update will be, but hopefully soon. :)_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Another chapter... more in the works. :)_

"Are you deliberately going to ignore the question?" he posed. He stood patiently in waiting he'd wait forever if he had to, if it would bring him the desired answer he'd been hoping for.

Still, Brennan didn't answer.

"I don't think this is a conversation, we should be having," she finally answered.

"You came here, Bones, you flew ALL this way, to arrive in a warzone, and you got nothing to say?" he challenged.

"I missed you," she told him shifting uncomfortably.

"It's not enough," he said shaking his head.

"I don't know what that means."

For the first time since she had come to Afghanistan, he was annoyed with her. Her naivety when it came to understanding things was causing him frustration.

"It means that if you aren't going to be honest with yourself, Bones, then you may as well return to Indonesia."

"I can't, Booth. I don't have a job anymore."

Booth shrugged. "I don't care!"

She looked awkward as he stepped away from her.

"Booth, I do-"

"I'm not interested, Bones. I don't want to hear it anymore... I've spent the last four months hating myself for missing you, and you show up out of the blue giving me hope that maybe you felt something more than what you tell me, but... forget it. I can't do this anymore." He turned then, and it was his turn to stalk out the tent.

He wondered the site for a while, cursing himself for running away. He had known what she was like, and he'd lost patience with her, when he should have understood, but there was only so much rejection a man could take.

Booth decided to make his way back to the tent, and when he arrived, he saw that Bones was pacing the tent with obvious anxiety. She looked up when she saw him come in.

"Booth, I- I'm going to go," she announced.

"Go where?" he asked suddenly feeling very overwhelmed at the prospect of her fleeing the country and being away from her again.

"Home... to D.C.,"

"Bones, I-"

"It's fine, Booth. I shouldn't have come here, I just couldn't- I'm sorry. I'll just go."

"I didn't mean to upset you, I'm just frustrated with this whole thing," he confessed honestly. He didn't want her to go home, but maybe that was the best thing for them. If she was going to hide herself away like she always did, then nothing was going to change.

"I know you didn't," she nodded understandingly.

She approached him, and cautiously wrapped her arms around his neck for a brief moment, before she withdrew again. "Goodbye, Booth... be safe."

"You too, Bones."

A moment later and Bones left his tent leaving him standing alone wondering why he had let her leave.

_If you haven't noticed, I have a habit of leaving you short chapters. I don't have a very good attention span that or I have an idea that needs a new scene... so hope that isn't too annoying. :)_


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Hi guys... next chapter is here. I hope it's not too bad, expect cliff-hangers again... I can't help it, I like them. It's like the season finale of mini readings :) _

The flight home to D.C was long and lonely for Brennan, her mind consumed with thoughts of Booth. Had she made a mistake? Had her inability to explain her feelings hurt him enough to completely destroy the bond they'd created.

Brennan pulled out her carry-on from under the seat, and ruffled through it before pulling out a torn photograph, the one that she had carried around with her when she was alone in Indonesia. Her eyes met those of the man staring back at her from the shiny gloss paper. His warm brown eyes smiled at her as though she were someone incredible. It was the same way he always looked at her when they shared those intimate moments of truth, when it was just the two of them in the world, alone at a bar, or at the diner, even in the company of one's apartment when their eyes met and the world changed.

Was that love? Brennan wondered. Was it love, when Booth made her feel like the world was her own whenever he was within proximity, when he made her feel safe and protected, when he made her laugh, when he listened as she told him of her experience living with her foster parents, the stories that made her whimper and tremble as she re-lived them through her words.

Had that been the emotion of love that Booth expressed? Was it possible that she mirrored his feelings of this emotion? She couldn't ignore him, even when she wanted to, and even his absence didn't leave her without him completely. It was a feeling of being out of control, in a way that didn't make any sense. How did she describe that, was that, too, a part of love? Did she make him feel the same way, did she bring him the same measure of happiness and completeness that she felt in his presence.

Yes, she answered herself, if that was his definition of love, if the way her heart eradicated when he said her name, when he folded her into his arms protectively, making her cringe with the desire to never let go. If that was love, then yes, she was irreversibly, undeniably, whole-soul in love with him.

Why was it so hard to tell him that?

_Fear._

Brennan sighed heavily laying her head back on the first-class cushion they had provided for her flight as she elevated the chair, a small smile reaching her lips as she thought about Booth and his fetish for first-class flying. Coach was boring. There was no reclining chairs, champagne or hot-towels.

Spontaneously, she decided once she landed, she'd make the call. Determined this time to give him the answer he had wanted. She'd tell him everything that was in her heart, metaphorically speaking. Her belief system in facts and science, couldn't be false, she reasoned, but neither could the undeniable connection she had to Booth, in this emotion he called love. Maybe, she thought, just maybe, there was the occasional one-off that could not be explained by science.

Her heart was pounding when she landed in D.C., her mind focussed on getting to a phone.

Knowing her apartment had been packed up and sub-let for another 8 months, and her phone disconnected, she took the piece of paper from her jacket pocket and found herself a payphone. She rang Afghanistan, the area code where Booth was situated. Certain it wouldn't work, but determined to try, she felt relieved when she heard the familiar click of the dial tone and the ringing began.

Miraculously, someone answered.

"I'm looking for Seely Booth?"

A short pause before a response. "Who's asking?"

"Dr. Temperance Brennan... his partner in Washington," she explained.

The next words made her world collapse. "I regret to inform you, ma'am that Seely Booth is severely wounded and currently resides in the _Craig Joint Theatre hospital_."

Brennan felt the air leave her body.

_Now this is where I get evil, *rubs hands together* I want AT LEAST 8 reviews in order for me to upload the next chapter, and believe me, it's a doozy. :)_


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: All I can say is WOW… thank you to each and every one of you who took the time to post a review, I can't name them all, because there are too many (and that's a wonderful thought) this chapter is dedicated to ALL of you… you know who you are, and thank you again. I hope the story continues to keep you grounded. :) _

Brennan finally stopped trembling and forced her mind to clear. She had to think. She had to come up with a solution to get back to Booth as soon as humanly possible. A payphone. She needed to get to a payphone… damn it, she was standing by one. She called the information line, and asked for the airlines. A long wait and she was finally connected with someone who knew what they were talking about.

"The next flight to Afghanistan is not for another 4 days," the woman explained.

Four days! They could not possibly expect her to sit around for … hours and wait in anticipation for Booth to live or die. No, there had to be another way. Brennan was rich, as Booth constantly pointed out, and for the first time she saw that it could very well work in her favor.

A private jet.

It took another few hours, before she was loading her bags back onto the private jet. She was quite on the flight, as thoughts about Booth's condition flooded her mind. Would he still be alive when she reached him?

She mentally scolded herself for not having been brave enough to tell him all her thoughts when she had the chance. If she missed it now, she was never going to move past it. Booth had taught her the essence of trusting people and building a foundation of friendship. How was she supposed to live without that? Without him?

No, she rejected the idea that the world would be better off without him.

The moment the plane landed at the hospital, she left her bags on board and ran. She ran as fast as her 34 year old body would take her, which on adrenaline was faster than she imagined. Her heart was in her throat, when the double doors slid open, and she rushed inside, the reception desk buzzing with nurses.

"I'm looking for Seely Booth… he was stationed in Afghanistan training soldiers for war?" she stated hoping her explanation would find him quicker.

A nurse looked up, momentarily. "Are you related?"

Is this where the staff tells you no one other than family was allowed to see the patient. No. Brennan wasn't waiting. She'd been through all this before. "Yes," she answered. "I'm his fiancé."

"Right," she nodded. The nurse came around to where Brennan stood. "Come with me…" she said leading her down a long corridor, turning left and right, and left again. Finally she stopped at a doorway. "He's in there… he's stable at the moment, and that's the best we can hope for."

Brennan nodded and pushed open his door.

Her eyes scanned the bed for a mauled man, with missing limps and a bloody face. An image she had burnt into her mind since the phone call. But it wasn't what she found when she approached the bed. It was Booth, in all his glory, the man she loved, the man who had been waiting for her to step into the light and admit that there was something more than a scientific explanation for her emotions.

"Booth," she whispered.

He didn't respond.

_Do you think that he should wake up? I might leave you all hanging if you leave me without reviews… hehehehe… Evil is so fun to play, and I'm so good at it :)_


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: here it is… are you ready… get set… GO!_

"Booth…" he could hear the faint sound of his name somewhere in the distance. His chest hurt. He couldn't open his eyes, it took effort. He could feel them flutter. But it was all he could manage. It took too much strength and he had none.

"Booth, I'm here..." THAT voice again, so faint and distant. It belonged to a woman… yes, it was a definitely a woman. But he could not distinguish the voice. "I'm so sorry, Booth… I've been so confused since you came into my life… I don't know what I'm sure of anymore."

Booth wanted to respond. He wanted to ask who the woman was, and what she wanted, but he couldn't muster the will to move, he had no energy, his limps wouldn't cooperate. It took minutes of struggling before he heard the distant voice echo louder through the room. He began to smell the aroma of his surroundings, a hospital… _yuck!_ Yeahp that was definitely a hospital.

He forced his throat to open and all he could manage was a slight groan.

Beside him, he felt someone shift. "Booth?" the voice called. _Bones!_ It was her voice, he could have sworn it. A hand tightened around his fingers, a warm, gentle envelop that instantly brought him a measure of peace and security. He tried again, to open his eyes, this time allowing her face to fill his mind as an incentive. It seemed to work, his eyes fluttered open and he was blinded by the light that peeked through his lids. He closed them again.

"Booth… Try again," Bones' voice urged. "Open your eyes… look at me, Booth."

He used what little strength was left, and fluttered his lids open again, this time he blinked repeatedly before the light stopped hurting his eyes. He saw her, the light capturing her in all her beauty. He drew in a breath at the sight of her. "Bones," he whispered almost inaudibly.

"Hi," she smiled. Her hand reached out, brushing the fringe of his hair from his forehead. He closed his eyes. It felt nice.

"What happened?" he winced as he attempted to move. A shooting pain made its way to his chest, striking hard. "Why am I here, Bones?"

"Shhhh," she hushed. "Don't talk Booth. You were shot on Base, wounded in the sternum; fortunately the bullet stopped before it puncture your heart muscle. But you're going to be okay… you're gonna be fine, Booth." She seemed to be telling herself more than him.

"Yeah," he agreed groggily. He felt strange - medicine strange. Obviously he had been popped full of pills to relieve the pain. He had to be grateful for that. "Why did they return me home?"

"They didn't," she answered. "You're at … hospital in Afghanistan."

He frowned, his mind working overtime to fill in the gaps and fit the pieces together. "You flew back here?" he asked. Had she really come back here just for him, especially how things had been left unresolved?

Bones nodded. "Of course I did, Booth. Did you think I wouldn't? There isn't anything that I wouldn't do for you." Her eyes were glassy and truthful. For the first time he had no doubt in his mind that she cared about him, that she would drop everything and come running to his aid. But why, he wondered, was she so afraid to admit that same connection when it came to love? What was she so afraid of?

"There is one thing," he said without thinking. _Damn_! He could have sworn she was going to pick herself up and run again.

Instead, she surprised him when she brushed his cheek with her hand. "No, there isn't anything I wouldn't do…" she assured him.

_Dare I be so mean? HELLS YEAH! Okay, so I'm running low on ideas and I wanna stretch it out as long as I can before the next bright idea hits me… but I know how it ends! You know the drill, you want to know, you give me something in return, like a nice little review :)_


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: more, more, more… anyone? _

_I can't hear you? I'm sorry… what was that? *cups ear* Let me hear you say "YEAH" let me hear you say "OH YEAH"… hehehehe… thanks a bunch for all the reviews, alerts and hits, I'm excited about that. This one is for AutumnMTC, because she leaves me cute reviews and REALLY wanted this chapter… enjoy :) _

"I don't know what that means," came the reply.

For the first time the words were not uttered by Brennan. The words were said by Booth, who was watching her with intensity.

She shifted in her seat beside the bed. Not sure how to broach the subject of that emotion called _love_ she moved her focus around the room, avoiding his eyes and the conversation. It was daunting to express something new, to throw herself out there, and to wear her heart on her sleeve, so to speak. It was unfamiliar.

"Bones, I-" Booth went to speak, but stopped when the nurse came into the room.

She checked his vital signs and blood pressure, he groaned in pain. "Do you need some stronger pain killers?" she asked looking concerned.

His eyes shot to Brennan who was watching him now. "No," he told the nurse. "I'm fine."

The nurse frowned and looked to Brennan and back to booth. "This isn't time to play the hero card, you don't have to be brave for your fiancé, and I'm sure she doesn't feel that you do either, so do you need some-"

Booth's face changed. "My- my fiancé?"

"Yes," the nurse looked skeptically at Brennan who held her gaze with caution.

"She's not my fiancé," Booth said without thinking. Was she? Had something happened before he had been shot, had he missed something important, had she told him what he longed to hear?

The nurse's concern turned to disapproval. "If you are NOT of relation, you are not supposed to be in this room, he needs as much rest as possible. I can't make one rule for you and one for everyone else, this has to be fair…"

Booth interrupted. "Did I say, she wasn't my fiancé… what I meant was that we've been together SO long, I already think of her as my wife," he seemed to choke on the word WIFE.

Brennan felt her heart thump.

The nurse didn't look like she believed him.

"Honest," he pressed.

Brennan held her breath, waiting to be told to leave, but the nurse only grimaced and left the room.

Booth laughed softly before wincing in pain.

"Shhhh," she urged touching his shoulder every so softly with her hand. "Don't laugh. Don't talk. Just rest!"

"Bones, you told them I was your fiancé," he pointed out obviously ignoring the pain. He was an ex-sniper he'd been through worse hell than this.

"I didn't think of another way to get in," she shrugged innocently.

"I could've been your brother," he smiled.

"Our facial structure doesn't match, Booth, it wouldn't have been plausible."

"Bones?"

She looked at him.

"Thanks, kiddo."

"It's no big deal, Booth…" she assured him.

He cocked his head slightly. "It was to me. But…"

"But, what…"

"But it just seems to be more to it than just telling people you're my fiancé," he watched her carefully. "I mean I know you Bones, you are a rational person, you don't think of saying something unless it's in there somewhere, some fact, some emotion…" he paused on the word.

She looked away and laughed lightly. "Maybe you're rubbing off on me, Booth."

"Maybe…" like the nurse, he didn't look like he believed her.

_I know I have a habit of short chapters, but it's how I work… sorry. Anyways… next chapter comes, when I get reviews… so I know that the story is progressing in a way that makes you want more… and more… and more… and, you get the picture. Click that button :)_


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: As promised, the next chapter. Thank you kindly for the reviews and Alerts, you've been wonderful. Happy reading :)_

Booth noticed instantly. The moment she walked into the room, he saw that her left hand was heavy than usual. His eyes made contact and the ring on her fourth finger set his heart rate through the roof. When had she gotten engaged? She approached the bed with caution watching his eyes intently, and when she sat down beside him, in the empty chair, she noticed what he was looking at.

He waited patiently for an explanation.

"I figure the nurse didn't believe us, so I thought we could make a charade and make the best out of a situation…" she smiled almost cheekily.

Booth frowned trying to fit the pieces together. "You put on a ring to pretend you were my fiancé?" he asked.

Bones nodded.

"It was unnecessary, Bones."

"I wanted to do it," she looked hurt by the harshness of his tone.

"See, this was what I was talking about before, you are acting… unlike you," he stated.

She seemed to shift uncomfortably. "I got scared Booth," she confessed.

"Scared of what?" he waited for an answer.

Bones took her time.

"You can tell me, Bones… I'm here, I will understand."

"I don't understand it, Booth." She took a breath. "I went to Indonesia to gain perspective of my life, to figure out what was a façade and what was authentic when it came to our working relationship…"

She seemed to stop talking. "And what did you work out?" he pressed. He reached out and took her hand, meeting her eyes and holding her stare, the way he had always done, stepping into her personal space. She seemed to struggle, but she didn't look away.

"That maybe-" she stopped talking as the nurse wondered into the room.

She looked at Bones, who stared obviously at the ring on her fourth finger. The nurse was skeptical, as she checked Booth's blood pressure, and checked him over.

"You need more pain killers?" she asked coolly.

"Yeah," he winced. He hadn't noticed until she asked, how much pain he was in. he would have been stronger, held off a bit, if he had known what was coming. The thing was Bones was she was unpredictable and her response could make him fly or crash.

The nurse looked slightly pleased as she loaded him with a drip.

Bones watched her like a hawk, as if she assumed the nurse was out for revenge. Then she smiled, like an idea had lit up in her mind. "Booth…" she whispered.

"What?" he turned to look at her, and withdrew slightly from shock when her face inched closer to his. He savored the moment, and waited, closed his eyes and a moment later felt her lips brush his. He responded instantly, not sure how long it would last. Booth had always been the one to make the first move, except that one year at Christmas when they were contracted to kiss under the mistletoe. The gum had been… minty. A moment he cherished even now.

But as her lips parted and the kiss went on, he felt her hand rest ever so gently on his chest, and instead of pain, he felt a warmth flood through him. Whether the pain killers had kicked in, or her warm hand had cured him, he wasn't sure, though he would have liked to believe it was the later, since he was a man of Faith. Bones, however, would have insisted it was nothing more than the drugs taking affect.

Finally, she withdrew, and her eyes sparkled as they bore into his.

"What was that for?" he smiled.

_Darn it, one of these days, I might just end a chapter WITHOUT a cliff-hanger. Hehehehe. I promise that I will eventually bring an end to these, and leave you happy and content with the finished product. You know the drill; a review or 10 equal another chapter. Hope I'm still keeping you entertained. :)_


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: ARGH! The woman even annoys me, and I'm writing the story. Sometimes I want to slap her for being so annoying SLOW in admitting what each of us already know_

_Anyways… hope you like the update and thanks for being loyal._

Brennan didn't answer him until the nurse had exited the room.

"The nurse…" she answered with obvious embarrassment.

"That was for the nurse?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I wanted to make it plausible. I just thought-"

"Bones," he smiled. "That was no kiss for a nurse; it was clearly for my benefit…"

"Booth, I-"

"STOP LYING, GODDAMN IT!" he barked. He winced in pain.

"Booth… lower your voice," she urged watching the door for the nurse to return. Surely, she'd kick her out of his room for making all that noise.

"Then be honest for once," he said through clenched teeth.

Brennan watched him a moment. Was it okay to say the words, "I love you"? And saying them, what did it mean?

"No," booth said seemingly reading her mind. "Don't analyze this. Just tell me what you're thinking and we can work it out from there."

"You really need to rest, Booth…" she said.

"Don't do that," he warned. "I'm fine. I'll be fine when you just tell me what the hell is going on in that BIG brain of yours."

"My brain is regular size Booth; it's my IQ that is above average intelligence."

"Bones?" his voice raised a few decimals and caused Brennan to withdraw. He was impatient and her withholding was only making him edger. "It doesn't matter what science tells you, it doesn't matter what religion I am or what faith both of us have. I need you to put that aside and concentrate, Bones… tell me, what do you feel when you look at me?" he held her stare, and she felt her stomach summersault.

"Too much," she answered.

"I need more," he pressed.

Brennan shook her head. She had come this far, she had boarded a plane TWICE to see this man. She had left her job in Indonesia because the absence of being away from him was too much. Love! Wasn't that what she had decided on, as she flew across to Afghanistan, fearful that he might not be alive when she got there? What was she so afraid of?

"A word," she guessed. "You need me to sum up my emotions in a simple word?"

"Yes." He waited.

Brennan took a leap of faith, is that what Booth was always talking about? Yes, that must be it. She took a deep breath and attempted the word. "Lo-

DAMN! Brennan cursed silently as the nurse wondered back into Booth's room, breaking the moment. She could have almost sworn the nurse stood in the doorway waiting to make her move.

Booth looked more than frustrated as he glared at the nurse. "Listen, can we have a minute… we're in the middle of something," he snapped, barely able to keep his temper.

"You are getting worked up, Mr. Booth. I don't think that's something useful to you right now, you need to rest. I'll kindly ask that you leave," the nurse looked at Brennan. "Visiting hours are over."

"Can she stay a little longer? I just- it's REALLY important."

"Not my concern, Mr. Booth. My concern is your health. You need to rest. Lady, please remove yourself from that chair… your friend needs some quite time."

"I'm fine," he insisted.

"It's okay," Brennan whispered leaning over him and kissing him softly on the cheek. Her lips lingered a moment longer than necessary. "I'll come back."

Booth nodded looking disappointed.

"I promise," she assured him. She hated to see that pained look in his eyes.

"Will you finish this conversation?" he asked not bothering to hide his lack of hope.

Brennan smiled weakly. "I'd do anything you ask me to, Booth."

She turned then and exited the room, feeling slight anger towards the nurse who held no compassion. She understood that it was her job to look out for the patient, and Brennan respected that, but the woman was cold. Like, Brennan was accused of being so often. What, she wondered as she walked down the corridor and into the waiting room, where she'd stay until morning, what did the nurse's life consist of to make her so impassive?

_Not sure if it's what you readers want, so let me know… but I was thinking of having a conversation between Bren and the nurse, anyone interested. You know the drill, reviews equals chapters. :)_


	15. Chapter 15

_As much as you guys all want the next B&B talk… I have a goal, and I intend to reach it. I want to reach 20,000 hits on this story, and so I want to pro-long this B&B talk as much as I can. I feel that as soon as they have the talk, it's the end of the story. It's how I work… sorry, but it's not too far away, so hang in there and I'll try my best to make it worthwhile. _

_Happy reading everyone :)_

Brennan hadn't moved from the waiting room in hours, she stiffened in the hard plastic chair and sighed heavily. When was visiting hours again? She asked herself silently.

"Are you ever going home?" the familiar voice asked. Brennan lifted her head to find the nurse.

"No," she answered matter-of-factly.

The nurse looked annoyed.

"What's your name?" Brennan asked.

"Anna. Why?" the tone was cool, collected, distant.

Brennan understood, she herself had been in that place many times before, never understood, always an outcast. People considered her a cold-fish. But it wasn't that at all, it was fear, of rejection, of abandonment of never being what she wanted to be. "I'm Temperance Brennan…"

The nurse looked at her skeptically. "It's a nice name it's like the anthropologist author-"

Brennan smiled.

"That's you, isn't it?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"You're not bad."

"I know."

Anna looked strangely at her, before she took a place beside her.

"Why are you unhappy?" Brennan asked bluntly.

"What do you care?" she responded.

Brennan took her time in answering, and when she did, she did something that was so unlike her. She gave a piece of herself to the nurse. "I used to be like you… before I met him," she gestured to the hospital room where Booth lay alone. "He changed my life. He changed ME. I used to be a cold fish, that's what people called me, unemotional, impassive, ice-woman… nobody perceived that maybe I had my reasons. Fear. Abandonment. My parents abandoned me at a very young age, I was alone in the world when my brother Russ left to find work. I was put into the foster system, the situation wasn't so nice for me there, either. I grew up and I developed a hard shell. A cold outlook of life, that people leave, they abandon me and I'm left to my own devices. Relationships change you, mold you, they make you grow and change as a person, whether you want to or not… I didn't want to. But he made me change. I began to see the world differently. I began to see that people cared. He loves me. I feel like I don't deserve it. But who is to say that my distance from him, keeping myself at arm's length, isn't MY way of abandoning him. Whether or not I deserve it, doesn't come into the aquation, because he does. He deserves it. Because he is a GOOD person, with a lot of heart."

"Why are you telling me this?" Anna asked looking stunned. Brennan could see the tears welling up in her eyes, she had hit home for Anna.

"Booth taught me that letting people in was a blessing. If I can return the favor, by changing someone's world with a little of the same advice, then I should… Anna, don't stop people coming in, whatever trials have befallen you, don't let the war be lost already…" _Hey wait a minute… did I just play on words_? She smiled to herself. She was learning more and more every day.

"I don't know who the hell you are…" Brennan could feel the anger rise from within Anna, and she could feel an explosion coming, and just as quickly it vanished like a puff of smoke. "But thank you…"

Brennan nodded. "You're welcome."

"By the way, I like your books."

"Thank you."

Anna nodded and then stood. "I have to get back to work. I'll um… I'll see you in the hospital room when I check the patient over in a while."

Brennan managed a smile and stood, making her way straight to Booth's room.

_Sorry for the wait guys… hope it wasn't disappointing. I really wanted to prolong the story hoping a new idea would spring, but so far all I have is the B&B talk… which just might be the end. :) a chapter for a few reviews, what do you say… worth the B&B talk… :)_


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: The B&B talk… ready… set… go ahead and read. :)_

It was a few days later when Booth mentioned something to Bones.

"Are you intentionally trying to avoid this discussion?" Booth asked as he watched her flick through the channels on the TV set above his hospital bed. It had been a week since he'd been shot, and he was slowly on the men, his chest hurt a little less. He had been waiting patiently in vain for Bones to broach the subject of previous conversation.

"I don't know what that means," she replied. Her eyes still glued to the images on the screen.

Booth rolled his eyes. This was a moment of her naivety that he could have done without. "Bones, you promised we'd talk about- you said you would…"

"Booth," she looked young then, almost innocent in a childlike way.

"What is it, Bones?"

Bones looked to the door, as if she was looking for an escape. Booth felt a disappointment cloud over him as he worried she'd already given up whatever thought she'd had before.

"Not now" she pleaded. "I don't want to converse at the moment."

"Why?" he pressed. If he didn't push her she'd never talk, and everything would stay the same. He didn't want to stay the same. He didn't want it to stay the same, he was sick of going around in circles. Booth needed a destination, he needed a conclusion, to be the end all of this… whatever title their relationship had.

"Because I-" she had no excuse. She sighed heavily and propped her chin in her hands as her eyes remained focused on the TV.

Booth changed the subject, in a desperate attempt to salvage what conversation could be saved for later. She clearly wasn't ready for this yet, but he'd push her to talk, sooner or later, he'd make her have this conversation. "Anna's different… the nurse, she- she seems different. You talked to her, didn't you?" he accused.

"We exchanged ideas," she explained.

Booth nodded.

"What did you talk about?" he was curious more than anything.

"Change mostly," she said.

"What kind of change?"

"The way that people change you…" there was a long pause. "You changed me, Booth."

The words fell like hail. He said nothing in response, stunned by her few words. He was not without empathy; he understood how hard it was for her to open up like that, how much effort it took her to say those words. He appreciated the effort.

"You changed me too, Bones."

Bones looked close to tears as she finally looked at him. Their eyes met, and he held her stare, telling her silently not to be afraid.

"Your definition of love… of faith and what you believe to be life fulfilling, I- I told you that I couldn't change, that my scientology was who I am, who I'd always be."

Booth listened with intent, careful not to interrupt, afraid if he moved that she'd stop talking, that she'd back track. He wanted to hear everything. Every thought and emotion in her head. Maybe he was insane, or naïve but he almost believed that she was going to say the words he'd so often fantasized about, that his feelings mirrored hers.

He waited.

"I don't know what I know anymore. I left D.C to gain perspective, Booth… to find a way to see life again, without you in it. But I couldn't… I tried. I fought with myself. Ever since you came into my life, I've been both confused and relieved. You taught me Faith, Booth, a faith in people that I had lost since childhood. You taught me that no matter what position or station one holds in life, it doesn't make a life any less valuable.

"You are the strongest man I know. Faith has kept you holding on when nothing else was possible. Your faith saved my life, Booth. YOU saved my life, more than once, in more than one way. I trust you. I trust that in any situation, past, present or future, that you would never intentionally hurt me. Your feelings for me, Booth… your love for more is… is… overwhelming."

Booth nodded. She was afraid.

"It's overwhelming because as hard as I fight it, I never win. I fail, Booth, and I'm not used to failing. I fail because your love overpowers me in ways that I can't comprehend. I understand now that you'll never give up on me, you'll never leave… and I PRAY to the God you believe in that it's true, because I can't take another heartbreak, Booth

"When I told my parents, when I lost Russ… I was on my own, I had no one. I had no one to depend on but myself, and now… now I have you. I trust you. And that means a lot to me. I'd do anything for you that you asked me. If that's your idea of love… then Booth… I honestly love you."

His heart tugged, and he shifted in the bed, eager to get closer to her, and when she moved over, to lean in, he closed his mouth over hers. For a moment the world disappeared. This was heaven. Everything they'd ever been through, every agony he had suffered, was worth this ONE moment. He parted his lips slightly. "I Love you, Temperance Brennan."

She smiled at the way he said her name, and for the first time in many years, she felt like she was home. Where he was, that's where she would be.

_*fingers crossed* PLEASE, OH PLEASE, OH PLEASE review this chapter. Did I do it right? Did I make you guys do that whole "AWWWWWWW" thing? PLEASE review… I'll love you forever, I swear. :)_

_Ps. Some want a continuation… do you?_


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: Okay… I KNOW it's short, but I have a REALLY short attention span, so please forgive me, what this means however, is that I update faster than an average person. Hope that doesn't bug you TOO much though… :)_

"We should go out on a date!" Booth announced as they sat at the diner, drinking coffee. They were back at D.C by then, it had been three weeks since the "talk" in Afghanistan. Booth hadn't raised the topic since then, afraid that it might scare her off. She had always needed time to adjust to change, and he was doing his best to give her that.

She shot him a signature smile. "A date?"

"Yes," he nodded confidently. "A date… dinner… conversation… wine," he slowed his voice on the last word, hoping it would give him the enhancement he was going for.

Bones took a moment to answer. "Minus the wine, isn't this a perception of a date? Evidently, we are eating, or at least you are eating pie… we converse…" she reasoned.

Booth titled his head. "No wine."

"Wine allows people to lose their inhabitations, Booth, they-"

"Is that a bad thing?" he challenged with teasing eyes. He had managed to pull her forward emotionally, and it had been three weeks since, all he wanted now was her, ALL of her. "Don't you trust me, Bones?"

"In this circumstance-"

He raised a finger in objection. "AH, be careful what you say. You just told me only weeks ago that you trust me ALL the time."

Bones smiled. "I lied."

"Did you just make a joke, Bones?" he asked enjoying this game play.

"I can be humorous," she stated.

"I know that," he assured her. "It's just a nice side of you. I like when you're fun, Bones."

"I am fun…" she grinned. "I'm very flexible too."

Was that an invitation? He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Wait and see," she offered.

"So a date. Tonight. I'll pick you up at six?"

Bones hesitated only for a moment. "A date… might be nice."

"Good," he nodded looking pleased.

_If you wanna see where it goes, I shall be evil and ask for reviews… :) hehehehe_


	18. Chapter 18

_A/N: Okay next chapter's up. I have a hurdle coming up soon… so enjoy this relaxed, easy-going date while you can._

Brennan was ready at six.

Dressed in a knee length, elegant black gown, her hair dropped an inch below her shoulders, and her fringe fell swiftly across her forehead. She checked herself in the mirror one more time before she met Booth at the front door of her apartment.

She opened it to find a smiling Booth.

"Wow..." he breathed looking her over. "You look incredible. You are SO beautiful, Bones."

She felt herself blush with embarrassment. "You look very handsome, too, Booth," she said to the man dressed in black dress pants and a clean shirt.

He nodded holding out his hand to her, she took it and stepped out of the apartment. He led her to the car and politely opened the door, allowing her to climb in first. He shut the door and came around to the driver's side.

"Where are we going?" Brennan asked as Booth started the engine and pulled the four-wheel-drive into the busy traffic of Washington.

He grinned in reply. "It's a surprise."

She was silent as they drove to the destination, curiosity rose up every now and then but she waited patiently without asking questions. Booth took a turn towards Founding Fathers, but passed it, causing Brennan's curiosity to peak.

Booth didn't stop at a restaurant, or a bar, or a club… he drove on, until he hit the ocean. He pulled into the carpark, as Brennan looked out the window.

"I thought it might be nice," he offered. "I have a basket packed in the back, and a blanket we can sit on, so we don't get sand all over us."

"It sounds nice, Booth."

He opened the door and got out of the car, pulling the cane basket from the boot of the car, along with a blanket. By then Brennan was standing beside him.

"Have you got caviar in there?" she gestured to the basket as they walked towards the sand.

"Yeahp," he nodded with a smile. "I got strawberries and Champagne too."

Booth spread the blanket down on the sand, and took Brennan's hand as he helped her sit down. He handed her the basket and she ruffled through it to find all sorts of foods. She was impressed when she looked up at him, and leaned over to kiss him softly on the mouth.

"Mmmm," she murmured. "What was that for?"

"For being so nice…"

"Anytime, Bones… anytime."

The two of them enjoyed conversation as they ate dinner, talking about everyday life, and about their time in remote parts of the world. Booth admitted to dreaming about her, about the nightmares that he had when he'd been stationed in Afghanistan. She had listened attentively and held his hand as he spoke. She felt bad that any reminder of her had caused him pain, but she was relieved when he told her since her being in his presence, the nightmares had diminished. She then offered a piece of herself to him as he had done.

"When I was in the Maluku Islands I… I spoke to you Booth."

"Yeah," he nodded. "On the phone."

"No…" she confessed. "I could hear your voice, I heard you speak to me, like you were there, beside me."

Booth frowned. "You heard my voice?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"It doesn't seem so bad," he teased.

"I felt safe, Booth. I don't know how to express myself in way of emotions the way you do, I don't know how to be so open, but I want to be…"

"I know," he kissed her then and his lips lingered a moment before he withdrew.

"I love you," she smiled.

He grinned. "Yeah, I know. Bones, do you want to go back to my place?"

_Did he mean sex? _"Do you mean to have sex?" she was never one to refrain from saying what she was thinking.

He seemed to blush in response. "Yes, Bones."

Brennan stood from the blanket and began to pack up the basket, when she was done and she smiled at Booth who was looking anxious. "Let's go…"

As they drove toward Booth's apartment, Brennan felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

"Don't answer it," he advised.

"I have to, it might be important," she reasoned.

"DON'T answer it," he urged.

Brennan ignored him and placed the phone to her ear. "Dr. Brennan!"

"We have a body!" the voice replied. It was Cam. "Is Booth with you?"

She looked over at him and sighed. "Yes. We'll be right in."

Booth pounded on the steering wheel in frustration. This was clearly NOT what he had in mind for the end of the night. In truth, neither had she.

_Okay… in my head, it has to be wrapped up completely if they are going to… do the dirty deed… so I have a hurdle they have to jump through first and then you shall have your happy ending. Until then, I need reviews to tie me over, that's where you guys come in… happy clicking :)_


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N: Hi guys, thanks for coming back for more. Here, begins the hurdle… it doesn't mean they will break up, just to clarify that for you. :)_

The night had been long. There had been no sex, no passion no kissing… instead there had been a mutilated body. Booth and Bones had been called into Sweets' office, Booth was ahead, and pulled open the door.

"Sweets, this better be good!" Booth announced flopping down on the couch in Sweets' office. "I had nice plans with Bones, and you ruined them." Booth had never been shy about expressing his opinion.

Sweets looked up with worried concern, as he held his notebook and pen firmly in his hands. "I've been informed, Agent Booth, that you and Dr. Brennan are in a relationship."

Booth tensed. "We have been partners for five years Sweets, this isn't NEW to you!"

Sweets shifted uncomfortably. "It's come to my attention that this is not a business relationship, Agent Booth, it's one of sexual content."

"You're 12. I didn't even think you knew the word…" Booth had his defenses up.

Sweets rolled his eyes. "I thought I'd gained some respect with you, over time… I'm disappointed to see that your opinion of me hasn't changed. I've grown over time, and I see you and Dr. Brennan differently. I wouldn't mind the same curtsey…" he looked hurt.

"I'd give it to you," Booth offered. "If you didn't stick your nose where it wasn't wanted."

"Agent Booth, if you and Dr. Brennan are in a sexual relationship, we may just need to evaluate your partnership, the FBI is concerned-"

"I know what the issue is here, thanks little boy!" Booth snapped.

Bones opened the door, and joined her partner on the couch.

"What are we talking about?" she asked bluntly.

Booth turned to look at her. "Sweets has raised the subject of OUR romantic relationship, and he thinks that we shouldn't be working together anymore… he thinks it might compromise our business work."

"I never said it, the FBI has a concern-" he tried to defend himself.

"We can work together, Sweets. Our business relationship is strictly different from our… intimate relationship."

"Bones!" Booth warned. "It's none of his business."

Sweets raised an eyebrow. "So you admit, Dr. Brennan, that you have an intimate relationship with Booth?"

Booth tensed beside Bones. "Sweets, I swear to God-" he felt her reach for his hand.

"Calm down, Booth…"

He took a breath and looked directly at Sweets. "Fine, what do you propose we do?"

"You need to go before the board, and-"

"No way!" he sat back against the couch and folded his arms, dropping his hand from Bones.

"Booth, maybe-"

"You can't be seriously, siding with him?"

"No," she replied calmly. "But if we want to continue working together, we have to show the FBI that we are better off together than apart… it might be the only thing we can do to keep the best of both worlds, metaphorically speaking. It can't be more harmful than-"

"Fine!" Booth agreed in a mumble. "We will go in front of the board."

"That is a wise decision," Sweets nodded looking pleased. Booth shot him a look of disapproval and picked himself up from couch, he took Bones hand and pulled her up, before dragging her from the office.

"Agent Booth, we weren't finished…" he called.

Booth reached the door and smiled, pulling out his phone. "Another body,"

"I didn't hear the phone ring," he said suspiciously.

Booth shrugged. "It was real quick. Bye," he slammed the door closed behind him. "GOD, I hate that kid!" he told Bones as they made their way into the main lab.

"He was just doing his job," Bones told him reasonably.

"He was the one who insisted I gambled and took a chance on you, and now he insists that we go to the board, they won't let us work together…" he said cynically.

"What happened to _your_ Faith, Booth?" Bones almost looked concerned.

He sighed. "I'm saving it for the board!"

Bones smiled.

_I wanted to say thanks for the reviews, and alerts and hits, because I reached my goal and it's all thanks to you. But as a writer I am never without a challenge and I have set myself a new one, so I am hoping you'll be of assistance and give me a hand… you can do that by reviewing again. :) I won't threaten you with a lack of new chapter this time… or will I?_


	20. Chapter 20

_Hi again… you guys are FABULOUS! I owe you much thanks for sticking this out and being loyal. THANK YOU immensely. I hope you like the next chapter and after that… a happy ending should intercept. :)_

Five men sat at a bench looking out.

Brennan leaned back in her chair, staring back at them, with confidence. Booth had been before the board, and now it was her turn.

"As it's come to our attention," one of the men announced. His nametag read Aaron. "That you and Agent Booth have entered into an intimate relationship that pushes the boundaries of fraternization, which as you know is of serious concern…"

Brennan didn't even take a breath. "Have Agent Booth or myself ever failed on a case because of personal differences?" she challenged the board.

"No, but-"

"Have Agent Booth or myself ever been inappropriate when dealing with a case, whether it be in possession of a corpse or communicating with a victim or a criminal that may have ruined any chance to finish the job with absolute professionalism?"

"As far as we know-"

"AND," she stressed. "Unless any of these situations occur during which time Agent Booth and myself remain in an intimate relationship, you have no reason to be concerned, isn't that correct?"

Another man on the board, his nametag read JAMES, stood from his chair in an attempt to intimidate Brennan, which he came to see, rendered useless. "We are here to tell you that your relationship with Agent Booth, which is NOT of strict business, is inappropriate and unless you intend on ending that with him, we have no other choice but to separate you. Agent Booth will no longer be assigned your partner, you will take NO part in Federal procedures, and neither will he have any part of the Jeffersonian institute. If you fail to obey these laws, you will be charged!"

Brennan didn't like James. "I don't like you."

He almost looked amused. "I'm not here to be liked, Dr. Brennan. I'm here to look after the population, and doing that involves a series of meetings like this one, where I come off the bad guy…"

She kept her temper, thinking of Booth's words. _When you go in there, keep your cool, Bones, and no matter what they tell you, it's a scare tactic. Give them the honest truth and DON'T fight them when they argue with you, show them that you are mature and obedient or they will break us up_. Brennan knew that Booth was referring to the Jeffersonian team, and she was aware that he had grown to like all her co-workers at the Lab. She took her time before answering. "I understand your concern, James. I appreciate that you are trying to look out for the population, but I am trying to do the same for my team. With Agent Booth and myself we have formed a team at the Jeffersonian that works well together. We each take a part in solving the cases presented to us, without that team, each and every one of us, it will certainty not produce the same success that the past has shown. I stress this point, that if you break up the team, you will find yourself struggling to solve more cases alone. The records show, that since assembling our team, we have solved more cases in the past five years than any other state in the world has in that time. I urge you, to reconsider."

"We urge you to break it off with Agent Booth," James shot back.

"I kindly decline that suggestion. I will NOT be ending my relationship with Booth."

There was a long silence.

"We will take a break, and reassemble in 30 minutes." Andrew, another board member with a nametag, suggested.

Brennan stood from the chair and made her way out of the room, where Booth was waiting outside the door. He embraced her briefly and released her.

"How did it go?" he looked panicked.

The panic on her face suggested it didn't go as well as they would have liked.

"Bones…" he groaned. "You fought them didn't you?"

"I tried, Booth… we just have to wait."

Booth ran his hand through his hair.

"We will get called back in, in 30 minutes."

_Hehehehe hope you liked it. I wasn't sure if it would ACTUALLY go this way, and if it doesn't (to those who are more informed about this procedure) I'm sorry if I offended you._

_Review if you'd like to know how it pans out :) _


	21. Chapter 21

_A/N: I know many of you LOVE this story, and look forward to updates, so I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. I am currently working on a hoard of FF's and it's not always easy to keep up, when your mind is active on different subjects. _

_Enjoy this though and the next one should be posted soon. :)_

Booth and Bones were called back inside the conference room. He took her hand and led her inside his hand trembled in her own as he pushed open door. Before the board, the duo took their position on the floor in front.

"I see by the way you are holding Dr. Brennan's hand that you have no intention of ending the relationship," James observed.

"No, sir," he answered politely.

"I see…" he looked less than impressed.

Bones tightened her grip around his fingers.

"Have you reached a decision then?" Booth asked bluntly.

"We have," Aaron answered.

Booth held his breath. Brennan tensed beside him.

"We demand that you reconsider your choice, because as long as you remain in an intimate relationship… as long as you choose to put yourselves before your work, we can have the two of you working together. It's unprofessional and we won't tolerate it," James explained. "If you come to work tomorrow morning, be sure it's with complete professionalism, you should NOT be in a relationship of any other genre. If you are, I warn you NOT to come to work… understood?"

"Yes," Bones nodded seething. "I guarantee you will be disappointed."

She turned to leave then, and Booth remained.

"You might want to have a chat with her…" Aaron suggested.

"You might want to shut up," he snapped. "Whatever WE decide, will be OUR choice, nobody makes it for us, you got that?"

"I understand the complications, Agent Booth, but I do ask you to revaluate this situation, and remember why you came into this field to begin with, what were you trying to prove?" James pressed.

Booth said nothing.

"You are dismissed."

Booth turned and left.

_I do so solemnly PROMISE that the next few chapters are going to be GREAT! If you review and tell me you are excited about it, I shall write them quicker and post them ASAP. The choice remains in YOUR hands… happy clicking :)_


	22. Chapter 22

_A/N: thanks for the reviews and the alerts and all the loyalty. So here is another chapter. :)_

Booth and Bones sat outside the conference room, in silence. He knew what he had to do, and he knew why, but he didn't want to. It would hurt him more than she believed it would, it would hurt him more than it would hurt her. Booth had been waiting for Bones for five years, waiting for her to break the cycle, and finally wear her heart on her sleeve. And she did. Finally!

He wasn't looking forward to doing this.

"Bones…" he said inaudibly.

"We don't have to listen to them, Booth," she stated matter-of-factly. "I'm not going to pull away. I'm in this for the long haul. I promise."

His heart tugged. He wanted to cry.

"I think we should…"

"We should what?" she turned to look at him, anger blazing in her eyes.

He looked down at his feet, unable to see the pain and anger she was directing at him. He hated the board, and everything they stood for, but they had given him an Ultimatum, and he had to make a choice. A choice that hurt, that stung, that burned the very essence of his wanting… nevertheless, he was forced to make one, and he had. There was no other option.

"I love you, Bones… you have to know that. But I joined the federal Bureau to save lives, to make up for the people I killed when I was a sniper. I mean, I can't just abandon that. I can't…"

His decision registered on her face. "You want to give the board what they request?"

"Yes," he nodded feeling like a real S*&!

"And me?" she pressed.

"I don't know, Bones… I don't know what's right except that I've made SO many mistakes that I can't afford to make anymore where lives are concerned. I can't, Bones. I know I pushed this, I know that I wanted you and me to work, but if they are going to pull us apart, I have to look at the big picture."

"I don't matter?" tears were welling up in her eyes.

He pulled his arm around her shoulder, but she brushed him off. "I'm sorry… you matter. You DO!"

"You want to terminate our relationship."

He felt ashamed. "The way I see it, is I'd rather see you every day at work than every once in a while when we're not together on a case. I hate myself, Bones… I know I'll regret it. But I promised myself that I'd put this first. I'd make up for all the past killings… I love you, please understand."

"You're weak, Booth. I hate you…" she whispered venomously.

She picked herself up off the bench and walked away from him.

_I sense most of you will be mad. But since it's ALWAYS Bones pulling away, I wanted to take it differently and Booth has his inner demons to deal with. I'm sorry if you HATE this chapter, but I promise, HONESTLY it won't be long before they're back together… in the meantime, enjoy the drama ahead, how will Bones react to him now? How will their business relationship work?_

_Ps. I HATE this chapter and I agree with Bones, he's weak… just in case you wanted in insight to my mind. _


	23. Chapter 23

_A/N: I have to apologize to those who didn't like the last chapter. :( I know that Booth wouldn't have behaved that way, but sometimes when writing, I don't get to choose which way my characters go they do it for me. It just happens. _

_Hope you enjoy this chapter :)_

Brennan stood over the examination table exhuming a body of a 30 year old man. Her head was in the game, where she should have always left it, where her mind should have constantly remained. Instead, she had allowed herself to falter. She had allowed her relationships with her co-workers to impact her judgment. She was angry, not at him, but at herself, for allowing her judgment to be impaired by the Alpha Male.

She was intently concentrating when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. She didn't turn around, but kept her eyes focused on the body.

"Hi, Bones," his voice was cautious, careful.

She said nothing to him.

He approached the table. "Everything okay?" still she said nothing. He peered over her shoulder. "What you looking at, there?"

She blocked him out, humming along to some music in her head.

"Bones… are you going to ignore me forever?" he pressed.

Brennan stopped what she was doing, and walked around the table, to examine another part of the corpse. All outside thinking evaporated as she stood concentrating hard on the task before her. It wasn't easy blocking him out, as it once was. She felt his presence, very much, the tension in the room felt like thick smoke. But she didn't break.

It had taken her all night, and no sleep, to conclude her attitude for today. If breaking up was what Booth wanted from her, if all his efforts to make her love him had been in vain, then so had his attempt to build a trust of friendship.

"Bones, I-"

"She's not going to talk to you," Angela told him standing behind him. He jumped in surprise.

"Why not?" he pulled out the innocent puppy dog eyed look.

"Because you're a jerk," she stated. "Don't expect any of us to talk to you either!"

Booth rolled his eyes. "Really mature of you, Ang."

"I'd shut that mouth of yours, before I lose my temper all together. You don't want to be on the receiving end of a hissy fit," she folded her arms across her chest and glared at him.

He seemed to retract his footsteps slightly. "This is between Bones and me, it has nothing to do with the rest of you Squints!"

"Oh, you've made it our problem, pretty boy. You hurt our friend, we respect your decision in breaking it off with her… you had to do what was right for YOU, but don't expect the rest of us to play fair."

"That seems a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

"Are you defending yourself?" Angela looked amused.

"Oh come on, Ang…"

"DON'T!" she barked stepping towards him. Brennan could see her temper was flaring.

"Angela," Brennan said evenly. "It's not worth it."

"Bones," he caught her eye and she looked away, aware that her heart rate had increased to the point of physical pain. She placed her attention back on her work. "Fine," he threw his hands in the air for drastic measure and stormed out of the lab.

Brennan watched after him, a look of pain splashed across her face, nothing to the seething agony that remained within. She knew that sooner or later he was going to leave her, she should have suspected it, now she just felt stupid. Nobody stays with her… everybody leaves.

_Still mad at Booth? ME TOO! He didn't even apologize. Lol. :)_

_Hope that made your day, and I bet you were all thinking ARGH, hit him over the head. Ooooh, that's not such a bad idea…. *thinks evilly* _

_You know the rules, a review or 10 for the next chapter. :)_


	24. Chapter 24

_A/N: I promise I am nearly done annoying you and prolonging the inevitably transition of putting them together again… soon, I promise. Just hang in there a while longer_

_Since I annoyed SO many in the past few chapters, I thought you deserved another update, quicker than normal. Enjoy :)_

Booth wasn't looking forward to being interrogated by Sweets. He knew that sitting beside Bones, he was going to feel quite bad about himself, well deserved he knew, but nevertheless, bad. She was giving him the silent treatment, which he suspected would go on as long as she could manage it. Bones was fairly strong headed. It could take a while.

He flopped down on the couch, and leaned back.

"This seems like a waste of time, today," Booth stated matter-of-factly.

"Why do you think that, Agent Booth?" Sweets challenged.

"Because Bones isn't talking to me," he shrugged.

'What did you do?" he accused.

"ME?" he snapped. "Why does it always have to be me, that's the bad guy?"

Bones groaned from beside him.

"What?" he demanded.

Bones said nothing.

Sweets watched them a moment before he made his opinion known. "It seems to me, that Dr. Brennan has lost her trust with you, Agent Booth. Do you-"

"YA THINK?" he snapped sarcastically. He knew he was being a jerk. He knew that his mood was of his own doing. He had been unhappy since the moment he had ended things with Bones. A mistake that he would pay for, maybe forever. He had wanted her, begged for her, and the moment things got too hard, he ran. He was strangely like Bones, in some ways.

It hit him then, his mistake, like a ten tone truck and his stomach exploded. He felt like a real S&$!. What the hell had he been thinking? He was an idiot… he had panicked… he was insane… that's it, he had lost all rational thinking and had a severe break down!

He groaned inwardly, and turned to Bones. _His_ Bones. The woman that had captured his heart a long time ago, and had never returned it. A woman who had been his reason for rising in the morning, on the days when he felt like dying. A woman so beautiful he struggled for breathe every time he was alone with her… how had he managed to let her slip through his fingers?

"I'm sorry…" he whispered.

"Go to hell!" she snapped. She picked herself up from the couch, and stormed out of the room.

Sweets attempted a reply, but thought better to leave her alone. He turned his attention to Booth.

"Are you going to fix this?" he asked.

"She won't talk to me," he sighed heavily.

"Make her!"

As Booth made his exit, his mind active with the thoughts of his mistake, he felt a hand brush the side of his head HARD. "Owww," he cried.

"You deserve that!" the voice boomed. "You're an ASS, Booth. I can't believe I actually thought you were good from Brennan. Do you know she came to me wanting to flee this place, because you are here in front of her, every second?" she threw angrily at him.

Booth looked down at his feet. "I didn't mean to hurt her."

"You did. I swear to God, if you don't sort this mess out and FIX it with her, you'll be fixing it with ME?" she threatened.

_Hope this was better! _

_I have a small chapter next and then the BIG FINALE… are you ready for it? Review if you are and let me know :)_


	25. Chapter 25

_I know that some are annoyed at the same chapters. But I have a seriously SHORT attention span, sorry about that. Second to last chapter… enjoy and happy reading :)_

Booth was surprised when he was called into the conference room again, only a week after they had issued the determination of their intimate relationship. He was seething when he waltzed into the room. He blamed them for his actions, for his decision, FORCED decision more like it, thought he knew the choice in the end was HIS. Bones hadn't spoken to him since he ended it. He had called her, and she hadn't answered, he had spoken to her and she had ignored him. He had tried Angela, again and again, but she had retorted to only slapping him upside the head and ordering him to fix the problem, anyway he could.

He stood before the board.

"You gonna sit down?" James offered gesturing to the chair.

"No thanks!" Booth said evenly. "What am I here for?" he wanted to get straight to the point.

"Well…" Aaron began. "We had another board meeting and came to a unanimous vote and decided that you and Dr. Brennan may enter into a relationship as long as it has no direct affect on the case," he went on.

Booth wasn't buying it. They had been so intent on breaking them up before; it seemed uncanny that they would call him in to tell him the good news. No. He wasn't buying it.

"What's the catch?" he demanded. There had to be more, another ultimatum, another deal, another request from the FBI. Whatever it was, he wasn't interested.

"No catch," James said smugly.

"Yeah," Booth stood. "I'm not buying…"

"Okay," Aaron answered ignoring the groan from James, who clearly didn't want to the truth to come out. "Fine… the board considered the statistics and noticed a considerably drop since the two of you have ended the relationship. We concluded that it was better that you have the best of both worlds, and see the rise of criminals being burnt, than the escape of one too many killers…"

Now it was Booth's turn to be smug.

"When is Bon- Dr. Brennan," he corrected. "When does Dr. Brennan get told this?"

"She has already been informed. She requested that you NOT be here when we informed you," James explained. He looked rather pleased with himself. Booth wanted to smack him in the head, instantly concluding that his life was in obvious ruins and he needed to vent in other places in his life. Booth chose to let him win this one. It might be his only means of existence.

He shrugged it off and glared at him, just enough for him to withdraw his cocky attitude and then he made his exit. He had to find Bones. With all the advice from Angela and the desire to win back Bones had increased, he made his way out of the Hoover building.

_ARGH! Don't you hate that? Lol. _

_Next chapter is the last… want it… I can't hear you… I said, do you want it… Nope, you might have to press the review button and tell me so *laughs evilly* :)_


	26. Chapter 26

_A/N: Okay this is stupid, but you guys talked me into it. First, I had my ending already, and I wanted to post it, thinking YAY I'm done and I reached the goal I had set, containing hits and reviews, BUT then you guys are all like… THE END? So, I have purposely decided to drag it out a lil more, no promises to HOW long that will take, but longer than a chapter. I will MAKE Booth make it up to her in some way, drag that out maybe._

_For ALL those I disappointed, this chapter is for YOU and for those who stuck it out and enjoyed it anyway I am eternally grateful. Enjoy the next chapter and happy reading :)_

Brennan heard a tap at the door, and sluggishly rose from her position on the couch to answer it. Her head hurt. She felt a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach that was unexplained, it wasn't a feeling of being sick, more a feeling of anxiety.

She peered through the peep hole, and saw his face. "GO AWAY!" she ordered.

"I will break down the door, if I have to. I NEED to speak to you, Bones."

She pulled the door open and stared bitterly at the face on the other side.

"What are you doing here?" she asked bluntly. She didn't want to look at him. She was still seething with anger and betrayal. He had broken his promise, and her faith in him had faltered.

"I wanted to see you…" he looked uncomfortable.

She turned her head away. "I don't want to see you, Booth. Doesn't the silent treatment mean anything to you? Leave me alone!"

"Bones, please…" he reached out his arm and she snatched it away, turning on him with blazing anger. He ignored the bitterness and said what he came here for. "I won't mess up again. It was a stupid judgment error I didn't see straight, I panicked. I didn't see what I should have. I'm SO sorry, Bones. It was me being a jerk... an Alpha male… or whatever scientific words you have stored in your vocabulary. I just- please, reconsider Bones, I'm allowed a mistake or two before we find solid ground, right?"

"You abandoned me, Booth. You promised you wouldn't and you did. I can't trust you… I don't." His eyes turned glassy, and he had that same look of pain when she had rejected him. "You are saying all this now because they're letting us work together."

"NO!" he stated firmly. "I knew I made a mistake in Sweets office. I was just stupid. I'm sorry… God, I'm sorry… I- I know I don't deserve you-"

"No," she agreed finishing his sentence for him. "You don't and you won't be getting it!"

"Your being irrational, Bo-" he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before her fist connected with his cheekbone. He stumbled back, stunned by her action.

"DAMN!" he groaned bending over slightly and cupping his cheek his palm. "Bones, was that necessary?"

"Yes," she nodded matter-of-factly. Yeah, she thought silently, that felt pretty good. "You messed up Booth, you made a mistake and now you have to suffer for it. I'm done," she went to the door and opened it, gesturing for him to leave.

"Aren't you even going to listen?" he asked in obvious desperation.

"Why?" she challenged. "You made your choice, rapidly, now I'm making mine. GET OUT!" she ordered. She folded her arms across her chest and waited. The ache in her chest, seemed to irate her, and it had only appeared when he did. The sooner he was gone, the better.

He gave her a desperate pleading look, but she didn't buy. She had no compassion for him then, she knew regret would make an appearance sooner or later, but she was hoping she could hold on to her pride long enough that Booth wasn't around when it back a guest appearance.

"Do I have to have you removed from the premises by force?" she asked coldly.

He ran a hand through his hair. "I know I messed up… are you ever going to forgive me?"

"Would you forgive me for hurting you?"

He didn't even hesitate. "Yes. You did it for years… every time you turned me down, every time you said no… it hurt Bones, but I loved you enough."

"Maybe that's the point," she shrugged.

"What is?" he looked hopeful for a moment.

"I just don't love you enough…"

The recognition made him shutter evidently before her. Brennan felt sick at the sound of her own bitter words. Was she really THAT angry with him that she would resort to hurting him just to get even?

She wanted to ask Booth to come back, to explain himself, to make it better… to make reinstate her faith in him, to make her believe when he said he loved her… instead, he walked out the door, his shoulders slumped and a kink in his step. She closed the door behind him, and sighed heavily as she returned to the couch, to wallow in self-pity.

_It would be unrealistic to think that it wouldn't hurt Bones to hurt him. _

_Ready for the next chapter… post a review and let me know :)_


	27. Chapter 27

_A/N: I have been drawing a blank for a while concerning this story, sorry… but I am getting back on track now, I have a nice surprise visitor coming up… can anyone guess who it is? _

_Enjoy this chapter :)_

Unsure what to do with herself now, Brennan found herself wondering around the Jeffersonian, her eyes scanning the room for the familiar face. Angela was playing with her technology board, when Brennan found her. She smiled and looked up.

"Hey, sweetie," she greeted.

Brennan's face was blank. "Hi…"

The sound of footsteps made her turn around, the sight of Booth made her turn back. She wasn't ready to look him in the eye.

Brennan could feel his eyes linger on her, begging for attention, for a glance, anything that she was willing to give… but she gave him nothing, just like he had, when he walked away.

"You said you had something for me?" Booth said asking Angela directly; when he realized that the situation was taking an awkward turn.

She handed him a case file, glancing awkwardly at Brennan for a reaction, but her friend had none. She continued to look blank, holding all her emotions inside herself, unwilling to let him see the effects he had left on her.

Booth looked back at Brennan, who instantly averted her gaze. He rolled his eyes. "I guess I won't hang around then…" he said.

Angela only shrugged at him.

"Fine," he said coolly making his exit.

Angela watched her sigh the moment he was out of the room.

"I can barely breathe Ang," she told her openly.

She laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I know, sweetie. But it doesn't have to be that way. I mean, if you wanted to, you could get him to grovel… he'd do it, if he thought you still might give him a chance."

"I don't know if I can," she said honestly. "I don't trust him now… he left me for his job."

Angela frowned. "You know he didn't mean it to come out that way, its Booth, sweetie, he loves you, he'd never hurt you that way. I know him. And so do you…"

Brennan turned her head. "I don't know anything about Booth anymore."

"Bre-"

"Can we just work!" she snapped.

Angela withdrew her opinion, and showed Brennan the work she had done on the latest case. Brennan's heart was heavy when she left the office, she had gone for advice and received it, but it was the one thing she didn't want to hear.

_I know this was a crummy chapter. But the next one will be better. PROMISE!_

_And who is the mystery guest… care to guess before I post another chapter?_


	28. Chapter 28

_A/N: I have to tell you first up that this chapter is a dramatic one, but I thought since Booth knew he was in the wrong, he wasn't going to throw any punches straight away… but being Booth, he also wasn't going to stand back and take it. So hope you like it… _

_Ps. For those who got the guest right… YAY… and this is SLIGHTLY longer than my average has been lately!_

Booth was drowning his sorrows in a bottle of scotch when the door to his apartment sprung open. His head shot up and his eyes adjusted to the figure, the familiar face crossed the room towards him, a clear shot of anger blazing in his eyes. Booth knew he was in for it. Nobody touched his little girl, hurt her, without being faced by the grim reaper.

Booth was calm as he stood up face him. Max McKean. Father of one daughter, Temperance Brennan. He didn't feel afraid about facing this Serial killer, as an ex-sniper he knew defense, but even then he had no intention of using it.

Max's hand gripped his shirt, above his shoulders, and shoved him towards the door. "You and me, gonna take a little ride!"

Booth didn't even flinch. There wasn't even a measure of surprise in this, the expectation that Brennan's father would hunt him down as his next victim, was too obvious. No, Booth wasn't surprised. He allowed Max to lead him out to the car; he opened the passenger's door to his SUV and threw him in before moving to jump into the driver's side.

Booth sat there limply, awaiting his fate. The men drove in silence, Booth vaguely aware of his surroundings, as they past the buildings and entered bush territory. Scenarios of being strung up in a tree crossed his mind, in his over active imagination. Did Max intend to burn him alive? Booth was able to sustain torture for long periods of time, whatever Max had in mind, could take a while.

Booth glanced at his watch, it was almost dinner time, but Booth wasn't particularly hungry.

Finally, Max pulled the car to a stop, purely out of curiosity, Booth looked out the window. He was surrounded by trees. Bush… Forest… Acres of land for miles… Booth cared nothing about his impending doom.

Max jumped out of the SUV and came around to the side, ripping the door open and pulling him from his seat. He shoved him on the earth, hard, the dirt grazing his FBI suit. Booth didn't flinch. He said nothing, had said NOT a single word since Max had barged into his apartment, unannounced.

Booth had no intention of fighting with this man. He'd take the punch he knew was coming, and he'd take it like a man without complaint. Then he'd return to his apartment and wallow in self-pity as he had been before he was interrupted.

Max pulled Booth up by gripping the material of his suit, and took the first punch. Without fighting back, Booth fell back down into the dirt. He barely felt the first blow, or the second or the third… he was numb from both the scotch he had been consuming and the pain of knowing his mistake.

Soon enough Max pulled him back up, holding him by his now-torn shirt.

"You hurt my little girl!" Max barked.

"Yeah," he sighed. "I know."

"You got nothing to say in defense?"

"Nuh… I screwed up. Do what you have to," he squinted as he prepared himself for another blow. The pain was beginning to set in. But the punch didn't come. Instead, Max threw him back down on the ground. Booth pulled himself into a sitting position and wiped the blood from his mouth. "I can't tell her I'm sorry, because she won't talk to me."

"She gave you what you wanted, and you threw it in her face!" Max was still raging mad.

"I did," he nodded in agreement.

"That's all you got to say?" Max was shaking his head. "I thought you better than that, Agent BOOTH, I depended on you to take care of her when I couldn't. And here you are, bloodied, with a broken nose," he touched his nose and flinched. "And you take the punch, and have nothing to say, while you feel so damn sorry for yourself."

The anger from within booth rose. "What do you want me to do, MAX?"

"Fight… like a man would, like I assumed you would!"

Booth sighed and dropped his head to the ground.

"I think there's more to it than you're letting on…" Max guessed.

"Leave it, Max." Booth warned.

"You are a weak man, Seeley Booth… you don't deserve her!"

Booth jumped from the ground, and surprised Max by slamming his body against him, his face inches from the man who had been both trouble and relief. His eyes blazed with anger, not for Max, but for the men who threatened him with past crimes, that could land him behind bars, and a distance away from the woman he loved. As far as he saw it, a small heart break would be nothing to another abandonment! Bones deserved more than that.

"No, I'm just an ass, who'd hurt her for nothing," his voice dripped with sarcasm. "The bloody board threatened me with crimes I had a million years ago… stuff I did before Bones came along, before I cared about someone other than myself. I was stuck. If I didn't do what they wanted, I was… I'd lose any chance to look out for Bones. I'd be sitting in a cell… what would happen to Bones then?"

The recognition filled Max's face. "Right…"

Boot stepped back and sunk beside Max. "I didn't know what to do… I wanted to be there, still. But if I told anyone then…"

"The board would go through with the threat?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Tell Brennan!"

"I can't… she-"

"If you explain your reasons, tell her, and- she forgave me, Booth and she didn't even like me all that much. She loves you."

"Yeah, but I hurt her."

"So did I," Max pointed out.

Booth sighed heavily. Maybe Max was right.

_Hehehehe BET you weren't expecting that! Lol… guess what? ME NIETHER! But I had to have a reason why Booth would do that, it wasn't him! _

_Did I surprise you? Review and let me know, and I'll give you the next chapter. How will Booth persuade Brennan he was doing what was best for her?_


	29. Chapter 29

_A/N: I feel like the pressure is on and if I don't make this a good ending, you guys are gonna spit in my face or somethin' lol. I tried REALLY hard, but the previous chapter about Max and Booth came easily. It was just random. I don't want to disappoint, so SORRY if I mess this up._

_Hope you like the chapter. :) _

Brennan slammed the door as her father stepped out.

He didn't know everything, despite his thoughts to the contrary, Brennan hated when her father got cocky and acted like a know-it-all. It was one thing for Booth to abandon her for his job, but to lie to her on top of that… no, she didn't believe it. Booth wasn't that cruel. He cared about her she couldn't deny that, he wouldn't have done all those things in the past if he didn't care somewhat about her.

She paced the floor of her apartment as she held back the seething anger.

An hour passed. Another knock on the door, made the irritation creep back into her voice. "GO AWAY, DAD!" she called out.

A small squeak replied through the closed door. "It's not him… it's me!"

The voice made her stomach crash with undoubting knots. DAMN!

"I don't want to see you either," she called back, this time her voice was uncertain and less forceful.

"Please, Bones… I won't stay if you don't want me to, just open the door and take this…" he begged.

Brennan moved to the door and looked through the peek hole. Booth was holding a piece of paper in one hand. Brennan hesitated and pulled the door open, feeling the air leave her lungs as she looked up at the man, who had long ago taken her heart, metaphorically of course. Even in her darkest hours, she could appreciate the stunning beauty of this man despite the bruises on his face, and the obvious wince in pain.

And then remembered she was angry.

"What do you want?" she barked.

"I have a fall back plan," he explained holding out a note. She snatched it.

"What is this?"

"A letter… it explains things better than I can, and I… I am sorry Bones. I'm sorry that it happened this way, and that I- I messed it up and I'm sorry that you hate me."

"Is that all?" she looked to the door.

"I'll leave, if you want me to…"

"Good. GO!"

"After you read the letter," he promised.

Brennan sighed heavily, and reluctantly tore open the letter.

_Bones,_

_In the conference room with the board, they were afraid that our working together and being in a relationship would jeopardize the cases… that our job would become minimal next to each other. They saw that my emotions were creeping into the investigations and they did not approve. I know you know this, but I feel like I have to explain it anyway. _

_When I was called into the room, James (the cocky arrogant son of a…) threatened me with some information about my past. About some things I'd done before you came into my life. Things I regret. A man I killed. It was enough evidence to put my behind bars and I couldn't do that to you. While I have lived with the demons in my head, sort out forgiveness from his family. Found a way to move past it without ever really forgiving myself. I have never been able to live without you. _

_James told me that as long as we remained in a relationship against his wishes, he would hold the past above my head. _

_I know how many times you've felt abandoned and I can only imagine that's how you feel about me now, I swear it was the one thing I'd never do. I will NEVER do. It was what I was avoiding. Can you imagine if I went to jail, I'd have abandoned you then… wouldn't I?_

_I hate myself more everyday for what I did to you. For giving you the slightest edge of pain. It was what I longed to avoid. But ending it seemed right at the time, though I now question my decision whenever I see you. You look so sad. So unhappy. I know I'm the cause of that. But I honestly felt like this was the right thing to do in the situation I had been presented with. _

_I like having you with me, even if it's only as partner at work, I can't hurt you that way. And I think that's my greatest fear, hurting you beyond repair, damaging you so much so that you see only darkest. I want more for you, Bones, even if I don't get to be the one who gives it to you._

_Sometimes I, myself, don't understand my reasons for bringing our relationship to an end, sometimes I think maybe it wasn't to protect you, but to protect myself, but then I know it's only that little voice inside my head, that's telling me I'm just NOT good enough for you._

_I know that it might take a lot of groveling to make you believe in me again, if you ever did… but I want to try. I want to date you… I want to live with you… I want to marry you… I want to be the father of that child you wanted… I want to raise it with you. If all this scares you, good, because it scares me too. And I promise that if it's scary then it's worth fighting for. _

_I love you Temperance Brennan. MY Bones!_

_I believe in you. I believe in US. _

_Don't give up on me._

_Simply… Booth_

Tears streaked down her face when she looked up at him. He stood nervously by the door, waiting to be told to go, to leave and never come back. He was waiting to be told she'd given it up. It was too late. But she couldn't do it. The words wouldn't form in her mouth.

"Bones…" he whispered.

She crossed the room to where he stood, with the letter in her hand and placed it in his open hand.

"What are you-"

_Is she really going to turn away from him again? The last chapter is next._

_Review and find out… OH how I LOVE cliff-hangers. Hehehehe. :)_


	30. Chapter 30

_Welcome to the final chapter… sorry its short, but it's to the point. _

_Thank you all immeasurably for sticking this out, and for being so loyal. Thank you for reviews, and for alerts and for those inbox messages with encouragement and ideas. I hope you like the ending… happy reading _

"This was for you…" Booth insisted shoving the letter back at her.

"I don't want it," she spat.

"Bones!" he was getting frustrated now.

"I don't want it, Booth. Its words! It means NOTHING!"

He shook his head and pulled a box from his jacket pocket. He opened the box and held it out to her, so that she could see it. In front lay a gold heart pendant, it was engraved with an inscription.

_Booth loves Bones_

"It's not Jasper or anything, but…" Her breath caught, and he picked it up and flipped it over, the other side had another inscription.

_I'll always be here_

"You expect this is going to make up for walking away from me?" she challenged in that hard, abrasive tone, as her mind buzzed with thoughts of his kindness and love. It had always been hard to resist him.

"No. I-I understand," he nodded painfully. "I messed up. I don't deserve you, and if that's your decision then, I'll- I'll learn to live with it," he turned to walk away, her mind spinning with thoughts as he stepped further away. Had she caused him this pain when she rejected him, this aching in the centre of her heart, a break, a snap, a crushing… would it go away if she gave him another chance or would she risk losing herself all together? Was the risk worth taking?

Booth reached the door and turned the handle.

"Wait…" she called. He stopped and turned around, devastation streaked across his expression.

It hurt her to see him like that. She didn't want to hurt him. A look from her said more than words would, could and did. He retracted and cautiously approached her.

"I forgive you, Booth."

"Really?" he stood stunned. Was this really all over?

"I'll give you my heart, Booth… but don't you DARE break it," she warned uncertainty evident in her tone.

He smiled, pulling her swiftly into his arms. "You said you are a scientist… a writer. You didn't think with your heart, Bones, you thought with your head. But I have to tell you, you _are_ a heart person Bones, you are ALL heart."

Brennan frowned. "You believe that, don't you?"

He nodded firmly. "I certainly do."

She kissed him then, unable to hold herself back from him any longer. She clung to him a moment, before she released herself and rested her forehead against his, as she closed her eyes. "I love you, Booth," she whispered finally understanding exactly what love was. Trust might very well happen over time, she understood, but LOVE, real love, it was not only an emotion, an action or a thought, but it was forgiveness, in all its glory, that allowed the heart to continue even when mistakes were made.

_ARGH! I fear the reaction. PLEASE give me your thoughts, I have nothing to bargain with, no more chapters to post, so this would remain all in good faith. PLEASE press that review button and tell me what you thought about the ending? _


	31. AN

A/N:

I know ppl get annoyed with this because they expected a new chapter… but I have BETTER exciting news… IM A PUBLISHED AUTHOR… my book/s are currently available as of today from Xlibris bookstore on line… check it out… BUY A COPY, they are also available in Ebook!

The titles are GROWING PAINS and THE INVISIBLE STRING… my penname is REBECCA IANNONE!

Just wanted you to know if you enjoy my FF, you might enjoy a FULL novel… :)

Happy Fanfic-ing… :D


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